The Secret
by I-heart-kakashi
Summary: Life is full of difficult decisions. When Kakashi meets an abused boy with a dark secret, he must choose the path he wants to take. Love or money. It's not long before his world is turned upside down. AU Kaka/Sasu... warning: Contains Lemons! Rape! Yaoi!
1. Chapter 1

The Secret

**The Secret: Chapter One**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke and Kakashi. I do own Gin though, but that's no accomplishment. Nobody would want him! Hell! I don't even want him. I'll give him away free to a good home at the first given opportunity.

**IMPORTANT STUFF ABOUT THIS STORY** I rarely, if ever use OC's as main characters in any stories I write. I appreciate that most people want to read stories about actual Naruto characters and not some randomer I made up. Anyway, he's there for a reason and that reason is because he's an absolute bastard (as you will find out later on) and I didn't want to burden any of the Naruto characters with such a title (yes, even Orochi lol) because I love them all too much. Somebody needed to be the bad guy, so I made up Gin especially for that role. As for his name… well that just happened to be the first thing that came into my head. 

Also, I need to alter Kakashi's age a bit in this. He's meant to be 24 and Sasuke is 16. Characters are a little OOC.

**WARNING**: Contains YAOI, RAPE and LEMONS. You have been warned. If it's not really your thing, then you probably shouldn't read this.

**(It's Kakashi's point of view for pretty much the whole story)**

The first time I ever set my eyes on him, they nearly popped out of their sockets. Simply put, he was the most beautiful little thing I'd ever seen, certainly not what I was expecting to open the door of the over-sized mansion I was visiting. I came to the house to visit an old friend of my father's who I had not seen for 5 years. I've known him since I was a child and he's always been so kind to me, in fact he even paid to put me through university because my family could not afford it. 

The boy invites me in and tells me to follow him, his small, delicate, child-like hand quickly closing the door behind us, before he spins around without looking at me or so much as even acknowledging my existence. His mid-length jet black hair swayed behind him as he turned, hinting at an almost blue tone as the light reflected of it. It is shiny and well kept despite its length, bangs at the front framing his face and spiked up from behind, obvious that he probably takes great time straightening it and styling it every morning. 

As he walked past I caught a subtle scent of almond from him, most likely the scent of whatever shampoo he's been using. His small hips sway in front of me as I follow him, almost mesmerising me with their movement. This has probably been well rehearsed on his part. He is certainly a boy who knows he's beautiful and is probably used to a lot of attention. He's dressed seductively also, with tight-fitting red coloured trousers sitting extremely low on his hips, barely covering him where they should. A metal, studded belt prevents them from slipping down towards his ankles, and I can't really tell if he's wearing underwear or not, but I don't think he is. A black, almost transparent, thin material jumper (or sweater to all those Americans reading lol) clings tightly to his tiny frame, and I can't help but notice that he has cut holes in the bottom of the sleeves to enable his thumb to come through, which draws attention to the red nail polish neatly applied to each of his nails.

He's not very tall either and his frame is very petite, more like a woman's frame than that of a boy, but then again he seems very young, probably about sixteen, seventeen at the most. Despite being petite in build, he's not all bony as there is muscle tone visible on his body, not a great amount, but enough to suggest that this is his natural build. 

Being so engrossed in staring at the boy for the duration of our journey around the long halls of the house, he stops suddenly, catching me by surprise and nearly causing me to walk into him when he stops abruptly at a seemingly random door. I hope he didn't catch me staring, but I think I looked away in time.

"Master Gin is in there," he says without making any eye contact with me.

His face is so beautiful, the first thing that draws me to him is his eyes, so deep and dark in colour they could almost be black. On closer inspection I can see they've been lined with a thin layer of dark make-up, enough to make his already large eyes seem even bigger. His face is very feminine, but in a beautiful way which suits his small frame.

What the hell is he doing here? How could Gin, a man in his 50's, who believe me isn't much to look at, manage to acquire such a pretty young boy like this one?

"Are you going in are not?" the boy states with a hint of annoyance in the tone of his voice. He's still staring at the ground, not bothering to look me in the eyes. Under the better light I can see how pale his skin is. He's so pale that his skin almost matches the white wallpaper which decorates the wall behind him. His colouring is so striking and unusual that I'm having difficulty looking away from him.

"Oh, yes, thank you," I finally snap out of my daze, only just taking in what the boy had said. I smile at him, but get absolutely no response except for a slight scowl. Without flinching he quickly spins around and I can hear his footsteps disappearing down the hall. My attention is caught when I see Gin sitting on the large, leather sofa in the main living room of his absolutely huge home.

"Kakashi!" he cries. "It's been a while hasn't it? You were still a teenager the last time I saw you, albeit only just… but how is your mother?" 

As I said before, Gin is an old friend of my father and has been a friend of the family since I was a baby. Despite not being at all related, I tend to think of him as my uncle. I have many fond childhood memories when he took me and my family on holidays and paid everything for us. Some of the happiest days of my life where spent with Gin and my family. Back when my father was alive, he'd take us out for rides on his boat, sometimes letting me drive, and when you're an excitable 10-year old boy that's probably the most exhilarating thing imaginable. Gin never really had a family of his own, he never married, so he kind of adopted us and almost looks at me as if I was his son, but I suppose I am the closest thing to a son he's ever had, so that's understandable. He is a very wealthy man, coming from a long line wealthy entrepreneurs, he inherited most of his own money from his own father, and he has always looked after my family because we're not so lucky in the financial department, especially after my father took his own life and left us to try and manage without him. As you can imagine, my mother thinks very highly of Gin. We all do. 

As it stands, I will inherit his fortune after he passes away, since he considers me to be like an adopted son, so I think it's only fair that I spend the Christmas holidays with him. Besides, I haven't seen him in years and it will be amazing getting to relive old memories.

"Hey Gin!" I smile as I return the enthuastic hug. He smells heavily of tobacco, but I don't care, it's just so nice to see him again that I think I can definitely put up with his 40 a day habit. He nearly crushes me in his arms as he's almost 6 foot high and built like a tank. However, he started balding at a young age and he's not exactly the most attractive man you'll ever meet. His nose is quite crooked and bent over at the tip, caused by a thankfully not too serious road accident in his youth where he managed to break it. But from what I know, he's a good man and that's all that matters.

"I see you've met Sasuke already," he laughs slightly as he lets me go from his vice-like grip. I swear that man doesn't know his own strength. 

"Is he the boy who answered the door?" I ask just as soon as I catch my breath.

"Yes, that's him. Beautiful isn't he? Quite a treasure."

"Is he your boyfriend?" I ask, desperate to find out for sure what was going on. Perhaps the boy is dating him, but I can't imagine it would be for his looks or dashing personality. I suppose the kid must just be leeching of his fortune or something. Gin is a kind man and I hope that rude boy I met earlier isn't taking advantage of that.

"Boyfriend? No, no, I like to think of him as more of a pet," Gin laughs, suddenly quite desperate to change the subject. "So, tell me, how is your mother? I haven't seen her in just about as long as you, nor have I spoken to her on the phone lately."

"Oh, she's fine…" I reply, but it isn't long before that beautiful, but very rude boy enters the room again, and still staring at the ground asks Gin if he wants anything. Strangely enough, the tone of the boy's voice appears to sound quite nervous, giving me the impression that he's not very comfortable being here. He doesn't sound as confident as he did earlier.

"Go get us some tea, and hurry up!" he shouts at the boy. Before I can get a chance to say, 'no thanks, I don't drink tea,' he has shot out of the door and I hear his footsteps once again, this time running down the hall. Why is that kid so damn jumpy, and why did Gin yell at him? There is something not quite right going on here and I'm determined to find out what, so I decide to pry a little deeper.

"Does Sasuke live here?" I ask, hoping to find out a bit more about the seemingly nervous boy.

"Erm, yeah. He has a room upstairs."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is he here? Shouldn't he be at school or something?"

"Well, it's the holidays and he needed a place to stay. You know how it is, difficult kid, parents kicked him out," Gin states quickly. "You know what we should do tonight? We should have a party in your honour! I'll invite a load of my friends around and we can celebrate you being the heir to my fortune. I'll start making arrangements."

"Sounds fun," I smile in response, momentarily forgetting about the boy.

Just as I expected, Gin pulled no stops with the party. His massive house was almost packed downstairs as he has a hell of a lot of friends, friends who seem to enjoy getting drunk just as much as he does. Excusing myself from a bunch of his tipsy mates, I head upstairs, desperate for a pee. After five pints it becomes difficult to hold it in.

I quickly pull up the zip of my jeans once I've finished and look forward to getting back to the party. Frank has some seriously cool friends, even though they're quite a bit older than me. 

"No! Please!" I hear a familiar voice coming from one of the rooms along the hall. It sounds panicked and afraid.

"Stop!" the panicked voice cries once again.

"Shut up whore!" Another, gruff sounding voice sounds over the top and suddenly I hear a smacking sound, like someone has been hit. 

Alarmed, I run straight towards the room where I heard all the commotion and what I see causes me to stop dead in my tracks. Four men have Sasuke pinned to the bed. He's struggling and crying but they won't let him go. My eyes open wide with shock, what should I do? They have his trousers pulled off and without warning, one of them moves towards him and begins kissing his neck. He tries hard to push the man away, but he's pinned down tightly, rendering him pretty much helpless. He's such a small, delicate little thing that he doesn't stand a chance again these four large men. Tears stream down his cheeks as he begs the man to stop, his eyes tightly shut and his fists clenched.

The man on stop of him spits into his lands, using it to lubricate his erection before abruptly pushing roughly into him with a huge force, causing the frightened boy to cry out loudly from a mixture of pain and shock.

"Shut up whore! Do what you're fucking here for!" the man yells and strikes the boy across the face again. He thrusts mercilessly into him, ignoring his cries of pain and the fact he's begging the much larger man to stop. The bastard didn't even bother to prepare the boy, or use proper lubricant. I cringe at the thought. I'm so shocked that I'm frozen to the spot. I want to help him but I don't know what to do. Should I run and tell Gin what's happening so he can come upstairs and stop it, or do I intervene with the situation myself?

"Lift your legs and take it the whole way in or this will take longer," the man yells, still thrusting deep and hard into the terrified boy. Sasuke is panicking, but the other men around him just seem to be laughing, as if this sort of abuse is hilarious to them or something. They continue to laugh amongst themselves and ignore his desperate cries.

With one last, hard thrust the man seems to reach climax and cum inside the boy. He pulls out, leaving Sasuke frozen from fear, trembling and sobbing quietly, his eyes still firmly clenched shut.

"Get out of the way and let the rest of us have our fun with the pretty little whore," another man laughs and pushes his friend out of the way.

It's almost like the boy has given up now and is accepting what is being done to him as he's stopped struggling. The next man climbs on top of him. I've got to stop this! Forcing myself out of my shocked state, I attempt to run towards the frightened boy, but before I get near the room, I feel a hand place itself against my shoulder that immediately causes me to spin around. It's Gin! Thank goodness! He'll put an end to this and throw those disgusting bastards outside on their asses.

"Ah Kakashi! Are you coming in to join the fun with us?" Gin laughs, pointing in the direction of Sasuke.

The colour instantly drains from my face. No! There's no way Gin would let this happen! He's a good person, he can't allow this!

"THE FUN?" I yell. "Raping a terrified boy! How the hell is that fun? What is happening Gin, why are you letting them hurt him like that?"

"Jeez Kakashi… don't look so shocked. Sasuke is a prostitute. He stays here in return for sexual favours. It's either that or he freezes or starves to death on the streets. It's not like this is his first time or anything, he always puts up a bit of a struggle to begin with, but he's happy here. I look after him well."

Gin puts an arm around me, attempting to guide me away from the room. He's so strong that I have no choice but to follow him.

"They are hurting him Gin!" I cry, struggling to break free from his vice like grip. "Please make them stop."

"Relax Kakashi, Sasuke is just a whiney, spoilt, worthless little piece of shit at times. Ignore him and let's go back to the party. He's just sulking because we normally drug him first, but we seem to have run out of supplies. Now ignore him and let's be off!"

"How the hell can I ignore him? He's…. he's…"

"HE'S FINE!" Gin raises his voice in annoyance that I won't drop the subject. "Come on, there's a full bottle of Jack downstairs with your name on it."

He half-drags, half-carries me in the direction of the staircase, but the boy's loud screams of pain coming from that room once again snaps me back into focus.

"GIN!" I yell at the top of my lungs. "Get them off him! I don't like what they're doing to him! Stop it! Please!" He can see clearly the tears starting to fill my eyes. He lets out a loud, defeated and somewhat irritated sigh.

"I'm disappointed with you tonight Kakashi," he looks down at me with a disapproving look in his eyes, before heading back towards Sasuke's room.

"Alright guys, fun is over! Get off him and come downstairs. The whore has had enough," he yells, pointing to the staircase. A mixture of disappointed and angry groans come from the room, but eventually the four men leave and follow Gin downstairs, but not before each one flashes a series of dirty looks at me.

Gin glares at me in disgust as he walk past, heading back towards the party. Right now I don't care. Usually I'd go out of my way to please Gin and the very thought of him being disappointed with me would be enough to tear my heart in two, but what he was allowing to happen was just wrong. I mean, I couldn't turn a blind eye to it, I just couldn't. I better go and see if that poor boy is alright.

Peering into his room, I can see that he's curled his body up into a tight ball and he's sobbing into his pillow. He still has no trousers on and what's left of his clothing has been ripped. What worries me more is that there is blood all down his thighs, staining the white bed sheets he's lying on. Those cruel bastards must have torn him pretty badly. How could Gin say he was 'fine'? He's not fine, rather he's lying there in pain crying his little heart out into his pillow. I cautiously walk towards him and gently place my hand on his shoulder. He jumps and spins around to face me.

"Are you alright?" I ask him, stupid question I know.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screams, taking me by surprise. I immediately jump back and remove my hand from his shoulder. "I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND I'M SICK OF IT! GO AWAY!"

His eyes are red and swollen from crying and a thin line of blood trickles from his nose.

"Look, Sasuke, you have me all wrong. I'm not going to hurt you… I'm…" 

"GO AWAY!" he yells once again, his voice crackling slightly from the volume. The sound rings in my ears. This boy can be extremely loud when the notion takes him.

"I'm no fucking prostitute! I don't get a say in the matter!" he cries.

"What?" my jaw almost hits the floor.

"SASUKE! THAT IS NO WAY TO TALK TO MY QUESTS!" Gin's angry voice causes both me and the boy to jump in fright. Sasuke's eyes quickly fill with terror.

"Go downstairs Kakashi," he demands.

"But… but why?"

"I SAID GO DOWNSTAIRS! I need to discuss the topic of manners with our pretty little friend here."

"What are you going to do to him?" I gasp, my heart slamming against the inside of my chest.

"KAKASHI! DOWNSTAIRS NOW!" Gin screams, his face almost turning red from the effort. I've never seen this side of Gin before, but then again, I've never seen him drunk. He never used to drink before, what's going on here?

"Look, I'm not going to hurt him Kakashi, we just need to have a little chat about a few minor issues that's all. Now please go downstairs and join the party. I will be down in a few minutes," he smiles through gritted teeth.

I don't believe for one minute that he isn't going to hurt Sasuke, but for some reason I find myself leaving the room, shutting the door and heading back downstairs, despite the boy's terrified eyes begging me not to leave him alone with that man. 

Sitting down on a sofa, I take a straight swig of the Jack Daniels from the bottle Gin told me about earlier. It tastes bitter as I swallow it, but I need to block a lot of thoughts from my mind right now. Gin wouldn't really hurt Sasuke, would he? After all, Gin is a good person. 

**End of chapter one**

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the first part of my new story. Please review and let me know if you want me to continue with this fic, or if it is destined to rot in a dark, mouldy corner of the archives for all eternity. But if you want me to continue, I promise plenty of drama, suspense, angst and a dark secret about a certain person or persons which will come to light soon enough. I even promise to finish it! :D

Laura xx


	2. Chapter 2

**The Secret: Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke and Kakashi.

**A/N**: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. Some of you made some fair points about how Kakashi isn't really a likeable character in this. Yes, at the minute he isn't, but in all fairness he's facing blackmail and it's hard for him to accept that the person he once thought so highly off is a complete and utter asshole. Over time you will start to warm to him more, I promise. He didn't start off too great either in 'Behind These Eyes' but his character got better once he discovered he really cared about Sasuke! :D

Also, this story is a lot darker than 'Behind These Eyes' and although I'm probably coming across as a bit of a sadistic monster, I'm not lol! I'm only sadistic in my writing; I certainly wouldn't enjoy hurting somebody like this in real life… only fictional characters need suffer that fate! This chapter is as far as the torture will go. 

Hehe! Enjoy! :D

"YOU WORTHLESS LITTLE SHIT!" Gin yelled at the terrified boy, his face changing to various shades of red from his rage. "You nearly let our fucking secret slip!"

He grabbed the boy by the hair, flinging him from his bed to the floor. Sasuke curled up tightly and covered his face with his hands. He knew what was coming, after all he was used to it. He also knew that Gin had lied when he said to Kakashi that he wouldn't hurt him. Kakashi doesn't know the real Gin or what he is capable off. The only version he had ever witnessed was the fake, sugar-coated Gin who won people over with money, lies and pretend charm. Sasuke was disgusted by it. He was sick of seeing Gin acting so nice to certain people and turning on others. Those lucky enough to be selected to see his 'good' side would never know what the real man was like deep down inside, only the unfortunate would stumble across that. After three years of being at the much older man's mercy, or lack off, the boy had leaned first hand just how violent Gin could get, especially when he was drunk. He prayed that Gin would finish with him quickly and get this over with.

He felt a sharp pain in his stomach as the older man kicked him hard, causing him to gasp for breath. He was so afraid of this man. Usually he would be careful not to annoy him or get in his way, but sometimes instances like this could not be avoided. After all, Sasuke had almost let Gin's secret slip and it was something Kakashi could never find out. It could potentially ruin everything he'd been working towards with the silver-haired man if and it were to slip out, it might encourage Kakashi to dig deeper into a subject matter which was forbidden to him. He just didn't know that yet. Sasuke knew he was going to pay dearly for his mistake just now. 

He had learned quickly not to fight back as Gin could easily snap him in half, the delicate boy being no match for his strength and power. However hard he might have tried in the past, the larger man could easily overpower him with minimum effort. Then he would become even more enraged that the boy was not submitting, his failed efforts earning him nothing more than a prolonged series of even more painful beatings. 

Before the boy fully realised what had happened, he'd been dragged to his feet and a hard fist crashed against his face, followed by several more punches until he could taste his own blood in his mouth. Sasuke winced, trying as hard as he could to protect his face with his hands. Pain was yet to fully set in, but after the adrenalin wears away he knew it was going to hit him all at once. Instantly he regretted letting too much information leak out to the silver-haired man. Gin had warned him a million times to stick to the story that he was nothing but a street prostitute who was _kindly_ taken in by the older man, but he had to stupidly let the truth slip out. Well, a small part of it at least.

Kindness was something the boy had known little off throughout his life, and the fact that this man, Kakashi, actually seemed concerned about him was a relatively new concept to him. He desperately wanted to tell someone, anyone who even so much as hinted that they might understand, like Kakashi, but he was fully aware that his nightmare would never end. He was trapped. There was no point in trying to escape.

Sasuke's body was thrown like a rag doll against the wall of the room. He gasped for breath as his back slammed against the cold concrete, his vision turning blurry as his head soon followed, slamming with similar force as his back did previously. He coughed up blood onto his bruised hand as Gin approached him, dragging the frightened boy to his feet and trailing him towards the bed, dumping him unceremoniously on to the sheets.

"Remember Sasuke, I prefer adore rather than resistance, so take it like the fucking whore you are or I swear I will make it that you can't eat solid food for the next year and a half! YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?" Gin hissed as close to the boy's face as he could, leaving a spray of spit behind him on Sasuke's terrified face. The boy simply screwed up his eyes and nodded. 

"Good boy," Gin smiled cruelly as he ran his hand through his young companion's hair, not flinching in the least from the blood which stained his hand from the injury to the back of his head. The boy was trembling underneath him and he had to admit he was enjoying the fear. It turned him on.

He roughly pressed his lips against Sasuke's, tasting the blood that he took so much pleasure in drawing. The boy kissed back, ignoring the pain he was in. He knew from past experiences that if he allowed Gin to know that he couldn't handle the pain, it was something the cruel man enjoyed. By hiding his pain, Sasuke knew it was one way in which Gin wouldn't be able to claim full victory over him.

He tried to block out what was being done to him, but Gin's body crushing him, the smell and taste of alcohol on his breath combined with the pressure applied to his new cuts and bruises, meant that he couldn't escape reality. It was an impossible task. 

He trembled as his tongue met with his tormentors. Gin kissed him roughly and there was nothing enjoyable about it. He winced again as he felt the older man's hands explore his body. It made him feel sick but there was nothing he could do. He had to protect the people he cared about and this was the only way he could do it.

After several minutes of uncomfortable kissing on Sasuke's behalf, Gin broke away and quickly removed his own trousers and shirt, before tearing off what was left of the boy's clothes and throwing them to the ground. He pulled Sasuke up again by the hair, causing the petrified boy to cry out. There was no point in begging the man to stop, the more he begged the rougher Gin would get. This was something Sasuke had learned from when he was just 13 years old and first left in Gin's 'care'. 

"You know what to do," the older man stated coldly as he relaxed down onto the bed. Sasuke nodded and immediately began to lick at Gin's hardening erection before taking it into his mouth, stimulating the sensitive skin with his tongue as he moved up and down his length. It took all of Sasuke's will power not to bite down hard, but the consequences of such an action just weren't worth it. Gin relentlessly shuffled about on the bed, his breaths coming in satisfied gasps as the boy's hot mouth engulfed him.

"You can take it in further than that whore," Gin raised an eyebrow, suddenly pushing in until he hit the back of the boy's throat. Sasuke didn't gag anymore; this was something he had become well used too. Eventually they managed to get a rhythm going; however, previous experience meant the boy knew when to come off. Now it was time for the part he dreaded the most to happen. 

Roughly, Gin threw Sasuke down onto his stomach. 

"Please use lubricant," Sasuke pleaded quietly. A sharp stinging sensation burned at the side of his face. He had been hit so quickly this time he barely noticed the older man's fist strike his cheek. He accepted that this meant 'no'.

Gin got himself into position behind the frightened boy; Sasuke screwing shut his eyes in preparation of what was to come. Gin spat into his hands and rubbed the saliva onto his erection. This was as much lubrication as the boy was going to get. 

Sasuke screamed into the pillow as the all too familiar burning, ripping sensation of penetration overtook his small frame. He dug his nails into the mattress as hard as he could manage as Gin roughly thrust harder and deeper into him. He pounded the boy so hard that Sasuke could almost feel his ribcage dislodging with every thrust. Gin smiled to himself, fully aware of how much he was hurting the boy. Sasuke needed to be taught a lesson regarding the slippage of top secret information to guests. He was sure that a fear of repeating this would be more than enough to keep the boy's mouth firmly shut in future.

The pain became more intense as Gin pushed the entire way into the boy, his thighs hitting against his young partner's behind. Tears stung Sasuke's eyes as he prayed that the older man would reach climax soon and then leave him alone for the night.

Eventually Gin did reach climax and came deep inside the boy before pulling out of him. To Sasuke, it seemed much longer than it actually had been, almost as like it had taken hours rather than minutes. As usual, Sasuke got nothing except pain and the dread of being stiff and sore in the morning, but at least it was over. He lay panting on the bed, relieved that Gin was finished with him.

"Now, where are your manners boy?" Gin smirked as he looked down at the broken, almost lifeless body before him.

Without moving from his position on the bed, Sasuke let out a quiet sigh. He had absolutely no idea why Gin forces him to say these things, except to degrade him further.

"Thank you for doing this to me Gin, and I promise I won't let our secret slip. I'm sorry about earlier, it will never happen again," the boy sighed, completely defeated.

"Consider yourself lucky as I suppose I'll forgive you this time," the older man replied. "But let's not have it happen again… EVER! Is that clear?"

"Yes, it won't happen again, and thank you for forgiving me."

"Good boy," Gin wrapped an arm around Sasuke and pulled him close. He could feel the older man's breath on his shoulders as he was restrained by the older man's vive-like grip, preventing him from getting away.

"Now go to sleep Sasuke," he whispered, kissing the boy's bruised shoulders and acting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Sasuke found it difficult to sleep that night. Every time he moved, his body ached. His discomfort was made worse by Gin's larger body crushing him and his arm tightly wrapped around him, pinning him to the bed and preventing him from moving into a less painful position. The situation wasn't helped by Gin's loud snoring. He'd fallen into a deep, drunken sleep and was clutching Sasuke tightly as if he was a stuffed toy. 

Sasuke managed to get an hour or so of sleep, but for the most part he lay awake, wishing that death would come and free him from his nightmare. He had thought about suicide many times in the past, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't put his family at risk of Gin's wrath by not offering his full co-operation. That meant not seeking the easy way out by seeking an end to his own miserable life, unless of course Gin decided to end it himself. After all, this was part of their dark, dirty little secret.

As the morning light hit Sasuke's bruised and swollen face, Gin eventually stirred and moved. The older man preferred it if the boy was still lying beside him when he woke and could be easily sent into another rage if Sasuke dared defy him by getting up and leaving the room. Sasuke wisely stayed where he was until his tormentor was wide awake.

Gin released his young companion from his grip and sat up on the bed. He glared down in disgust at the frightened boy who wouldn't dare look back at him.

"You look fucking terrible!" he shouted when he caught sight of Sasuke's bruised and swollen face, as well as the dried blood which covered his body. Sasuke didn't reply, instead he remained still on the bed praying that Gin would leave him alone soon. 

"Go and clean yourself up. Don't come downstairs for the next fortnight either. I don't want to look at your face when it's disgusting like that. In fact, don't fucking come near me until you're pretty again! You worthless piece of filth," Gin stated coldly, his eyes distant and emotionless.

"Maybe if you didn't beat me so much then I'd look a hell of a lot better!" Sasuke thought to himself, but wouldn't dare say out loud. He longed to be able to talk back to the older man; it took all of his self restraint to stay quiet. Before Gin entered his life they boy was more than used to speaking his mind, but of course now he was broken and submissive. His fire was gone, put out by the abuse he'd suffered over previous years at the hands of that cruel man who he hated with every fibre of his being. However, on the upside, at least Gin would leave him alone for a whole two weeks! Best of all he probably wouldn't want any sex either. Sasuke began to contemplate if whacking his face against a wall a few times a day would be enough to keep Gin at bay.

Sasuke nodded in response and let out a sigh of relief as Gin got up, threw his clothes back on and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

The boy screwed his eyes shut as he forced his aching body into a sitting position. Everywhere hurt, but he managed to drag himself to his feet and limped towards the shower, picking up a towel as he went along. Turning on the water, he stepped inside, the hot water causing his fresh wounds to sting momentarily, but he was relieved to finally be able to wash away any traces of Gin and the other men who had violated him last night. Even after three years he still couldn't get used to living with Gin. Surely after so long he thought he should have become desensitised to it now, but that never happened. Of course he was no longer surprised by what the violent man did to him, but that didn't mean he was used to it. This is how it had been for long enough now. Gin would have parties, he would get drunk, he would allow his friends to do whatever they wanted to his little 'pet', then he would have a go himself and be sure to throw in a few kicks and punches just for his own personal entertainment.

Sasuke sighed and tried not to think about everything that had happened as he rubbed the soap into his skin and reached over for his favourite almond scented shampoo. "It would be worse," the boy sighed to himself. "At least I get fed three times a day, have a comfortable bed to sleep in, a roof over my head and I can have a shower every morning. There are people who have to experience worse." He tried to comfort himself with that thought as he fought back his tears.

Once he was satisfied he was clean enough, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapped the towel around his waist and headed back to his bed. He had every intention of sleeping for the next few days. As he came into his room, he noticed that Gin had left him breakfast sitting on the chest of drawers beside his bed, but right now the boy didn't have any appetite. He climbed into bed and curled up tightly beneath his blankets, tears stinging his eyes as he caught sight of his own blood that stained the sheets from last night. Things were starting to get too much again, but he had to tolerate it. There was no way out. He had to keep the secret. People's lives are at stake.

**End of Chapter two**

Yayyy!! You made it to the end of the chapter! Thank you for reading. The reason for this chapter? To make you all despise Gin of course! I hope it worked and your hatred for him is currently boiling your blood! You will need that hatred later on so don't lose it lol. There is to be no sympathy for Gin!

This will be the peak of the torture scenes where Gin abuses Sasuke. He will hurt him later on again in the story, but it won't be as bad as this. As I said before, the main purpose of this chapter is to set out the true nature of Gin and show what he is actually capable of doing. The next chapter will return to Kakashi's point of view and how he reacts to Gin's current treatment of Sasuke. He will have to face up to the fact that Gin isn't such a good a person as he previously believed.

Please review and let me know if you still want me to keep going. I can't reveal the secret just yet, but bear with me. The time will come! Oh, and to answer Lord Eragon's question… yes, I am from England!

Laura xx


	3. Chapter 3

The Secret: Chapter 3

**The Secret: Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi.

**A/N**: Thank you so much for your reviews so far! I really appreciate all your comments and feedback. It puts such a smile on my face. So, on with the next chapter… enjoy! :D

* * *

**(Kakashi's point of view for the entire chapter)**

**The next day…**

The room continues to spin as I woke up that morning, hung over and far away from my bed. Immediately my thoughts returned to Sasuke. Gin didn't come downstairs last night like he said he would. He wouldn't have hurt the boy, would he? No, he promised me he wouldn't, but then again the Gin I saw last night was a different Gin from any other time I'd seen him. He never really used to drink, but now it almost seems like his life has become focused on it. I actually felt afraid of him last night. I've never felt afraid of him before because he never used to act like that. He was always so friendly and kind. But that look in his eyes was scary, as if he had been taken over by a completely different person. How could he have changed so much in 5 years? What the hell have I missed? I better go upstairs and see if that boy is alright. The look of terror in his eyes will probably haunt me until I die. I honestly think I should have stayed with him last night, but it's too late now. I hope he's alright.

My head throbs as I push my body up into a sitting position, the desperation for a drink of water slowly becomes overpowering. My dizzy spell is soon interrupted, but doesn't disappear completely when the door of the room bursts open and a familiar character bounds in full of energy.

"Kakashi! You're awake!" Gin announces as he enters the room, seeming surprisingly cheerful and acting as if nothing at all happened last night.

"Morning Gin," I reply, clutching at my head and stomach. I think I need to throw up.

"Too much to drink last night?" Gin laughs, immediately returning to the person I'm familiar with, cheerful, happy and unable to hurt a fly. I have to say I'm feeling relieved. He mustn't have hurt the boy last night. He must have kept his promise to me. Maybe he just told him off a bit and then came downstairs to rejoin the party, but I didn't see him because I was pretty drunk. Yeah, that has to be it.

"Yeah, you could say that," I force myself to smile. "Is Sasuke about? Do you mind if I go upstairs and check if he's alright. He was really upset last night."

"No," Gin's cheerful expression instantly changes back into the cold, expressionless face that burned a hole right through me which I experienced for the first time last night. "He's fine. He's just upstairs sleeping."

My heart suddenly leaps inside my chest from dread.

"You didn't do anything bad to him last night, did you?" I gulp. "It's just he looked really frightened when you came in and…"

"I SAID HE'S FINE KAKASHI!" Gin yells, causing me to jump from the shock. "LEAVE IT AT THAT!!" He shouts as he slams the door shut behind him, leaving me on my own once again.

There is something not right here; I can't understand why he won't allow me near that boy. Choosing to ignore what he said, I get up and silently slip upstairs in the direction Sasuke's room. I can't help it if I'm worried about him, and besides after how those men treated him last night he's going to need to see a doctor or something, and perhaps at least need a shoulder to cry on. Making a quick check to insure Gin isn't about; I knock on the boy's door and get the response I was expecting.

"GO AWAY!" his muffled voice sounds from inside.

"I'm not going to go away Sasuke. I'm here to check if you're alright, I'm a bit worried about you is all. Please let me come in."

"I'M FINE!" He cries, desperate to keep me from entering the room.

"I'm coming in whether you want me too or not."

"FINE! WHATEVER! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO!"

Pushing the door open, I catch sight of him curled up on his bed, the blankets pulled up over his head. My jaw nearly hits the ground when I see him properly for the first time since last night. His face is swollen and bruised as if he's been punched hard several times. There's blood on the sheets and it looks like he's been through a lot more than just what those men did to him previously.

Gin! I can feel my blood starting to boil. That fucking bastard! He promised me he wouldn't hurt him! I run towards the boy and sit down next to him on the bed, hoping that he will open up to me and tell me what happened. I can't help him if he won't tell me.

"Did Gin do this to you?" I whisper, gently running my hand through his hair in a futile attempt to calm him down. He's starting sobbing quite loudly and as much as I want to take him into my arms and hug him, I'm afraid I'll hurt him, so I resist.

"Yes," he whimpers. Fully expecting the boy to yell and hurl abuse at me, I'm surprised by his more submissive response.

"But you have to get out," he sobs. "If Gin catches you here, he will take it out on ME, not you, so please go away."

I wish Sasuke was lying, but I know he's not. The look in Gin's eyes when he came into that room barely looked human. All warmth and feeling were gone from them; he simply didn't look in the least bit like the kind, friendly man I remembered from my childhood. Why the hell did I leave Sasuke alone with him? I've always been so used to obeying Gin without giving it a second thought. I trusted him and he went and did this to a defenseless young boy who couldn't fight back even if he wanted too. I feel sick to my stomach and not just from the alcohol I consumed last night.

If what Sasuke says is true, he will get beaten because I went in to try and comfort him, so I can't let Gin know I went near him, but at the same time I can't turn a blind eye to this – but I can't annoy Gin! Before I force myself to leave the sobbing boy alone, I pull the blankets over him and ask him if he needs anything. He shakes his head and buries it back into the pillow.

I fucking need answers.

* * *

"GIN! Who is Sasuke and why is he lying in a pool of blood upstairs in too much pain to fucking move?" I scream as I burst into the living room where the older man is sat reading a newspaper. "Call a doctor for him right now!"

Immediately he hurls his newspaper against the wall in anger.

"YOU WENT UP THERE!" he yells in response, his cheeks starting to flush red. "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR FUCKING NOSE OUT OF THIS!"

"How can you expect me to keep my nose out of it when there's a terrified boy upstairs who is being abused by YOU!" I hiss as I point my finger at the other man. "Do you really think I can pretend nothing is happening? That boy doesn't deserve to live like that…"

"You know nothing about that boy, so you can't question whether he deserves it or not! Sasuke is nothing more than a filthy prostitute who has broken up homes and ruined people's lives…"

"BUT HE SAID LAST NIGHT HE WASN'T A PROSTITUTE! HE SAID HE WAS GIVEN NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER… YOU HEARD HIM!!" I scream, unable to contain my anger. I need to break a table, or at least throw a vase against a wall or something. "If he was really nothing but a whore then why was he resisting those men last night? Why was he crying? And for the last fucking time… CALL A DOCTOR OUT TO SEE HIM!"

"Listen Kakashi. Let's not forget the vast amount of money you stand to inherit from me. Think about your mother… think about how much she needs that money now that your father is dead and can no longer provide for her. Do you want her to live in poverty for her entire life? Or do you want her to be happy? Think of how disappointed she'd be in you. Don't you dare forget everything I've done for you Kakashi," Gin states coldly as he folds his arms and stares directly into my eyes. "Who put you through university? I DID! You'd be working a bottom level job if it weren't for that degree helping you better yourself. You owe me more than you can possibly ever repay me, and if I were you, I'd want to stay in my good books, and the only way you can do that is by keeping your mouth shut and staying out of my business. Sasuke is mine; I can do whatever I want with him – DO YOU HEAR?"

"Keep my mouth shut? YOU'RE BLACKMAILING ME!" I gulp, the colour slowly draining from my face. This can't be happening. Gin knows I can't disappoint my mother… why is he using this against me! I thought I could trust him!

"Maybe I am," Gin sneers. "Now, stay the hell out of my business and keep your distance from that boy. He's nothing but trouble and I'm sure you don't want to ruin everything you're set to receive."

I let out a defeated sigh. Gin looks back at me smugly. He knows he's won.

"At least allow the boy to see a doctor, please Gin! He needs painkillers or something… please don't be so heartless…"

"FOR FUCK SAKE, FINE! CALL A FUCKING DOCTOR FOR THE WHINEY LITTLE SHIT!" Gin yells, barging out of the room and slamming the door behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts. What am I supposed to do? I'm trapped.

* * *

"So a gang beat you up on your way back from town last night, Sasuke?" the doctor asks the boy. With Gin standing with his arms crossed and leaning against the door with a look of pure irritation on his face, there's no way Sasuke will dare tell the truth, or even so much as hint at it.

"Yes," he whispers quietly, remaining curled up on the bed. "A gang beat me up."

"They got you bad, kid. Thankfully you haven't broken anything, but you're going to be very sore for the next couple of days. Did you see any of them, or do you even perhaps know who any of them are?"

"No, they were wearing masks," Sasuke lies.

"Ok, well I can give you some strong painkillers that will make the next few days a lot more comfortable for you," the doctor smiles as she writes out the prescription. Sasuke smiles slightly, but other than that doesn't really respond. I notice he mentioned nothing about the rape, but I'm guessing Gin warned the boy not to open his mouth. I suppose if they did tests on Sasuke, they could find DNA evidence to link Gin and his friends to the crime.

"Have you given a statement to the police? They will look into this matter for you and you can press charges if the culprits are found," she asks.

Before Sasuke can even open his mouth, Gin has already answered for him.

"Sasuke doesn't want to give a statement to the police," Gin sneers, his arms still folded tightly across his chest. "We spoke about it earlier."

"I see, but I need to hear an answer from Sasuke, because after all, he was the victim of a cruel and unprovoked attack…"

"I'm fine," Sasuke interrupts the doctor. "I don't want to press charges, give a statement to the police, anything. I just want to forget about it all."

"Well, if you're sure," the doctor gives the boy a confused look. "Here's a number to call if you change your mind." She smiles and leaves a card down on the dresser beside Sasuke's bed before she prepares to give him his first dose of pain medication.

Shortly afterwards the doctor leaves the room, talking to Gin about something. They both exit, leaving me alone with the boy. I gently run my fingers through his hair and for once he's glad of a bit of company.

"Kakashi," he whispers.

"Yes? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry I was so rude to you when you first came to the house yesterday… it's just I thought you were planning to, you know…" he pauses, then sighs. "I thought you were just another one of Gin's friends who had come across simply to exploit me for whatever perverted use you felt like. Please don't be mad at me, I was just on the defensive."

"I'm hardly mad at you," I reply. "Does Gin make you do these things on a regular basis?"

He goes silent and doesn't answer my question, signaling that I've entered 'no-go' territory. Maybe if I win over the boy's trust he will tell me what's going on around here. I want to help him so badly, but I don't know what I can do. Gin has me trapped right where he wants me and I'm powerless to get away. Just like Sasuke I suppose. I guess I have more in common with this boy than I originally thought. Gin has played the family card against me. My mother only just makes enough to scrape by, and when she found out I was to inherit Gin's fortune, I've never seen her so happy since before my father's death. Finally she can have an easy life and that's what I want for her because she worked so hard providing for me and raising me all alone, as well as juggling a badly paying job. If Gin abandons us, I honestly don't think she could handle it. I can't disappoint her.

I feel so trapped. With the money I'm set to receive, I have guaranteed financial security for my family and myself for life including my future grandchildren… everyone. I owe it to them all, but in order to gain it, I have to turn a blind eye to this boy's suffering. It's tearing me apart because I know I'm the only one who can help Sasuke but there isn't anything I can do.

"Are the painkillers starting to work yet?" I ask him.

"hmm," he nods slightly as his eyes begin to flicker closed. I guess that means they must be working as they're quite strong and the doctor said they will make him tired. I sit next to him and wait for him to fall asleep.

"I'm so sorry Sasuke…" I whisper quietly as I pull the blankets over his shoulders. I can't disappoint my family. I have to keep silent. I won't let him suffer alone though if I can help it. I guess the very least I can do is try to be there for him and offer him an unconditional shoulder to cry on whenever he needs it. This is tearing me apart, but Sasuke's fate has already been decided, and I can't change that.

**End of Chapter 3**

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Thank you for reading! Please don't be too mad at Kakashi. Over time he might end up changing his mind. Eventually Sasuke and Kakashi will bond and Kakashi will have to make the most difficult decision of his life, but there's more behind it than he could ever have imagined.

Please review and let me know if you still like the direction this story is heading. Its early days and stuff can be changed and altered. All suggestions are welcome! The next chapter will be a bit of Sasuke and Kakashi fluff as they work at building up trust in each other, and who knows... perhaps soon Sasuke will reveal the secret he's been guarding for so long!

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	4. Chapter 4

**The Secret: Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi.

**A/N**: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, your kind comments keep me writing this story. I'm sorry this update is so late, but at the minute I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. But worry not! This story will be finished, although for the time being my updates won't be quite as frequent. Hopefully this will change soon.

**(Kakashi's point of view for the whole chapter)**

**2 weeks later…**

After three years of near isolation, Sasuke has taken to following me around like a lost puppy. I guess for the first time in a long while he has a shoulder to cry on and someone to talk to when he's feeling lonely. I'm surprised that I seem to have won him over so quickly, but I think he's just been so desperate for non-violent human contact that he's attached himself to the first person who has uttered a kind word to him. I ended up looking after him when his previous run in with Gin that night at the party left him unable to look after himself. The poor thing was in so much pain that he needed me to most things for him, so I suppose you could say we've become quite close recently. He trusts me more than anyone else in his life at the moment, although not enough to tell me what is actually going on between Gin and him. If I bring it up, he goes silent and refuses to allow me to dig any deeper into his situation. I know he's hiding something, but Gin has put the fear of God into him and he wouldn't dare open his mouth. I'm hoping that if I can get him to trust me enough, then he might eventually open up to me more.

He's also worked out that if I'm near Gin tends not to hit him because I won't allow it. I don't know to what extent he likes me as a person, possibly a friend, but I do know he feels a tad safer when I'm around and he's not prepared to let that go. I don't mind the fact that Sasuke has become my shadow, in fact I quite enjoy the boy's company. Surprisingly, after what he's put through on a regular basis, he's a good kid, and when you give him attention, he laps it up. He was alone most of the time before I came here, so when you talk to him or acknowledge him, it makes him happy. My presence in the house seems to have cheered him up considerably.

However, the more I embrace Sasuke, the more Gin isolates me. He's made it perfectly clear that he doesn't like me being around the boy, but still I can't bring myself to cut all ties with Sasuke and stand back and allow Gin and his friends to do what they want to him. Since I have little choice but to choose money over the boy's well-being, the very least I can do is extend the hand of friendship to him and protect him for as long as I'm going to be here. It hurts to think that I will have to leave him here in a month's time. I know Gin will probably make up for lost time by making the boy's life even worse once I'm not here for him to hide behind. This is tearing me in half. I don't want to get attached to Sasuke because it will make my decision to leave him here all the more difficult, but I don't want to ignore him completely now that he's starting to trust me. I really don't know what to do.

"Kakashi…" a familiar voice whispers.

"Yeah, what is it Sasuke?"

"Thank you for stopping Gin from hitting me earlier," he replies nervously as he fiddles with the material of his shirt.

"That's no problem, you don't need to thank me for it. Once you distract Gin enough, he kind of forgets what he was angry about," I smile as the boy walks along the hall behind me.

What's interesting is that Gin's mood affects Sasuke directly. On days were Gin is more relaxed, Sasuke relaxes too and opens up more to me, although he refuses to tell me anything about his past. However, on days like today when Gin is easily irritated, edgy and unpredictable, Sasuke sinks back into his shell, becomes jumpy, nervous and difficult to make conversation with. I managed to prevent what could have been a particularly nasty outcome earlier where the boy forgot to bring Gin down some milk with his tea and the older man exploded. I managed to step in and calm the situation before he struck Sasuke across the face, but I hate to think that I can't be there every time to protect this innocent boy. I know for the past week at least, Gin hasn't laid a finger on him, but the good treatment is going to wear off eventually. It's going to get to the point where Gin doesn't care that I'm there or not and will full on attack Sasuke, especially if he's drunk and at his full potential of rage. I might not be able to stop him and it frightens me. What if he kills Sasuke by accident? What if it's not an accident?

Suddenly a loud crash coming from one of the rooms along the hall causes both Sasuke and I to jump. It sounded like something breakable was thrown against a wall with extreme force. Immediately I can sense Sasuke starting to tense, and with good reason too. It sounds like his tormentor is in a rage about something. That means it will probably be taken out on him. I need to get him away from here before this escalates into something that I can't control.

"Hey Sasuke," I say smiling, hoping to keep him calm. "Maybe we should go upstairs for a bit and let whatever this is blow over."

He nods in response, but his eyes remain filled with terror. I can feel him cling tightly to me as I guide him around and head towards the nearest staircase, hoping that Gin doesn't decide to emerge from that room. Wishful thinking, I guess he must have heard us.

"KAKASHI! WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING WITH THAT BOY?" Gin yells as he bursts through the door, his face alternating through various shades of red. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM!"

I can feel Sasuke getting ready to run, but we both know that will make things worse as it will intensify the other man's rage and make him more determined to beat the crap out of the boy. I hold Sasuke back.

"What's wrong, did something happen?" I ask calmly, attempting to use my standard method of distraction to calm Gin down.

"OF COURSE SOMETHING FUCKING HAPPENED!" he fumes. "THE FUCKING HORSE I BET ON LOST THE FUCKING RACE!"

"Well, that's annoying, but there are plenty of other races to bet on," I smile, trying hard to keep my cool, the entire time my heart slams painfully against the inside of my chest. I can't let him get his hands on Sasuke or else this will be bad. Gin hates loosing and a simple horse race like this is enough to infuriate him beyond control. I can feel the boy gripping even more tightly to my clothes as he stands behind me, I'm not the only one who knows just how bad the outcome will be if I fail.

"SASUKE! GET THE FUCK OVER HERE NOW! I NEED THAT TIGHT LITTLE ASS OF YOURS TO RELIEVE MY STRESS!"

Afraid to disobey, Sasuke reluctantly lets go of me and takes an unsteady step with wide, terrified eyes towards his tormentor. I have to do something fast! Stretching out my arm to prevent Sasuke from walking any further, I push him back behind me. I can't let him go over to that man, he's in such a rage at the moment that he'll rip him apart. I spent too long having to comfort Sasuke and tend to his wounds after the last time Gin raped him, this isn't going to happen again. Not if I can help it. I can't bear to see him suffer like that again. I abandoned him to his fate last time; I'm not going to do it again.

"Kakashi, What the fuck to you think you're doing?" Gin raises an eyebrow and looks at me disapprovingly. "How many times do I have to tell you? That boy is my property… I CAN DO WHAT THE FUCK I WANT WITH HIM! Now Sasuke… GET OVER HERE!"

Again, Sasuke attempts to take a step towards the older man, but this time I grab him roughly and pull him back behind me, almost causing the boy to hit the floor.

"NO!" I shout, adrenaline starting to pump through my veins, causing me to abandon my calm approach. "You can find another way to relieve your stress because I won't let you hurt him! It's not right! He doesn't deserve this Gin!"

"IF YOU WON'T HAND HIM OVER THEN I'LL TAKE HIM BY FORCE!" Gin yells and comes towards us. I don't stand a chance against Gin, he could snap me in half almost as easily as he could break Sasuke. This is what I've been dreading. He's reached a point where I can't control him or prevent him from hurting the boy. I knew this was inevitable; it was going to happen eventually.

Looking at Sasuke, he's frozen to the spot, his eyes looking directly at the older man, wide and terrified. It looks like we only have the one option. I wrap my hand around Sasuke's wrist and drag him behind me, the boy hesitating at first from the shock, but eventually he runs along with me. I have no idea were to go, there isn't really anywhere we can hide in safety. Gin instantly takes off behind us and I can hear his footsteps hitting the ground as he chases after us, determined to get Sasuke. I'm too afraid to look back. I've never seen him this angry before in my life and I genuinely feel afraid for Sasuke's life at this moment. Running from Gin is probably the worst thing you can do, but it's our only choice. I can't fend him off if it were to turn into a physical fight so there's no point in even trying. I swore to myself that I would do everything I can to protect the boy after what happened to him last time were I ended up having to pick up the pieces.

Finally I remember one room along this hall which has a lock! The bathroom on the bottom floor! It has a window that we could surely escape from. I could take Sasuke away from here until Gin calms down enough for us to come back and for him to listen to reason. Quickly darting towards the door, I roughly throw Sasuke inside, the boy ending up falling on to his knees from the force, as I burst in behind him and lock shut the door. My heart slams against my chest, almost stopping completely from the intensity when I suddenly realise just how small the window is.

"SHIT!" I cry out loud. Even Sasuke won't make it through there, let alone me!

Just then the door starts to shake as Gin's powerful fists and feet kick and slam against it.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!" He screams, his voice sounding like it has been taken over by some unnatural and inhuman entity. I don't know what to do except pray that the door can withstand the force being exerted against it. Hopefully he'll give up and go away if he can't force entry.

Sasuke has curled up in the corner of the room next to the shower, his knees tucked to his chin as the tears stream down his face. I don't think I've ever seen him this afraid before. His skin is even paler than I ever thought was possible and the look in his eyes says it all. He's knows he's going to be killed if Gin makes it through that door. There's only so much a body can take and if his tormentor gets hold of him in the rage he's in, the boy's body will be broken beyond repair.

I come over and sit down next to him. All I can do is use my body to try and protect him if Gin gets in. Almost instantly he tucks his head into my chest and sobs loudly as I wrap my arms around him and hold him close. I have to stay calm for his sake.

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!" Gin hollers at the top of his lungs, the volume of his voice causing Sasuke to tense even more. He continues to kick and pound at the door, knocking the hinges loose and splintering wood. At this rate he's going to break through and there's nothing I can do about it. I've failed Sasuke yet again. This is another thing I won't be able to forgive myself for.

He's shaking violently as I pull him close to me, his breath his coming in loud gulps and he's finding it difficult to breathe. The poor thing is panicking and there's nothing I can do or say to calm him down. He's clinging so tightly to me that his knuckles are starting to turn white. In a way I hope that he'll simply pass out. That way he won't be conscious when the inevitable happens, he won't feel any pain. In trying to protect him, I've just made things worse.

"GET OUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" Gin screams, somehow managing to raise the volume of his voice even more. The hinges on the door are becoming even looser from the pounding they're trying to endure. The fear that Sasuke's body will be the next thing that will receive a pounding terrifies me to the extent that I don't care what happens to me. I'm determined to protect this boy. I can't let him down… again.

"GIN! STOP THIS!" I screw shut my eyes and shout, trying hard not to sound as terrified as I actually am. "JUST STOP THIS! ENOUGH! JUST STOP IT!"

**End of Chapter 4**

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Wow… that was intense but thank you so much for reading. It seems like Kakashi and Sasuke are in a bit of trouble here. Will Kakashi be able to calm the situation and protect Sasuke? I hope so, but Gin is in one hell of a mood! I guess you'll have to wait until the next chapter to see what the outcome of this encounter is. As I'm sure you can tell, Gin really doesn't like it when he doesn't get his own way!!

Please review and let me know if you guys still want me to continue. I did promise fluff in this chapter, and this didn't exactly turn out as fluffy as I hoped (lol?), so instead I will mix some nice fluffy moments in amongst the action throughout the next chapters so that the story hopefully won't end up being too boring!

See you next chapter! :D

Laura xx


	5. Chapter 5

**The Secret: Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sasuke and Kakashi.

**Author's note**: Again, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Your reviews mean the world to me, honestly, and never fail to put a smile on my face. Oh, just to clarify the pervious chapter, Gin is definitely really annoyed about losing the horse racing bet, but the reason he went a bit berserk isn't so much to do with that, its because Sasuke disobeyed him. He ran off with Kakashi instead of doing what he was told! Anyways, on with the next chapter! Enjoy! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view for the entire chapter)**

As Gin kicks at the door with all his might, wood splinters and the hinges holding the door in place become looser and looser. Unless he stops hammering it, then he will get inside, there's no doubt about that. I look down at Sasuke once again who is sobbing quietly into my chest. I doubt he's ever dared disobey Gin before and I can't help but feel guilty that I dragged him behind me and brought him here. I've made things one hundred times worse for him.

"GIN! STOP IT!" I yell again, desperate to try and reason with the man. I can't believe this is the same man who I remember from my childhood as being kind, gentle, warm and unable to hurt anyone. How could he have kept this side of his character hidden from me for so long? Do my family know he's like this? Has he ever behaved this way in front of them? It doesn't make sense.

"KAKASHI! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE NOW!" he yells, kicking the door after each syllable to emphasise his point. "I WILL BREAK THIS FUCKING DOOR DOWN!"

"Would you calm down for a minute and listen to me?" I cry. "This is stupid Gin, really fucking stupid! Sasuke didn't do anything wrong, leave him out of this. You've put him through enough!"

"What are you saying Kakashi?" Gin sneers. "You don't want my money… you want Sasuke instead then?"

I can picture that wicked smile spreading across his face as he said those words. He's playing _that_ card again.

"I'm sure your mother will be so pleased with you when you bring back that worthless little piece of crap instead of the sole rights to my fortune… whatever suits you Kakashi. I can easily find somebody else to take your place."

Why is he doing this to me? Why does he constantly blackmail me with it every time he doesn't get his way? I hate being controlled by him, I'm like a puppet. It's disgusting. Looking down at Sasuke again, I can see he's calmed down slightly now that Gin has stopped kicking and banging at the door, but the fear remains in his eyes. I think he knows the answer I'm going to give Gin before I even say it, after all how can one boy compare to a lifetime of financial security for an entire family? He must know he can't, but now Gin is forcing me to say it right in front of his face.

"So what is it then, Kakashi? Money, or the boy?"

Why does it sound so disgusting when he says it like that? I feel like the worst person on earth right now. This boy probably saw me as his only hope and now I'm about plunge a knife right into his heart. He looks up at me, but quickly buries his head back into my chest once our eyes lock. For the brief few seconds I saw them, there was a sense of longing in his eyes, almost pleading with me not to abandon him.

"WHAT IS IT THEN?" Gin screams, kicking the door hard one more time, causing it to shake with the force and Sasuke to jump.

I want to speak, but the words are stuck in my throat. What managed to come out sounded more like a hoarse, terrified yelp than anything else. I hate myself right now.

"Money."

"What was that Kakashi? I didn't hear you?" Gin sneers.

He heard me just fine. I know he wants to make sure that Sasuke realises he has no hope of escape and that I'm just going to abandon him and leave him to his fate. He wants to crush any hopes the boy might have had. The cruel bastard.

"Money," I say again, louder this time, but with no less sorrow in my voice. I'm doing this for my family; I need to keep reminding myself about that. I'm not a selfish person. I'm doing this to help my loved ones. I'm not selfish. Sasuke is defeated. He lies limp against me, his face still buried against my chest, his grip on my clothes loosening, his sobs quieter. I guess now any trust he might have had in me is now gone.

"I thought as much," Gin gloats. "Sasuke is worthless. You made the right decision. Remember where your loyalties lie, with your mother, your family and me. Now open the door and hand the boy over. You are just making things worse for both yourself and him by trying to protect him, you can't protect him."

Gin is right, I can't protect Sasuke. I'm too weak, too easily defeated once the right cards are played against me. God! I wish I was fucking stronger. Everything is happening in slow motion, it doesn't feel real. Sasuke immediately lets go of me and pulls his legs against his chest before wrapping his arms around them, burying his head into his knees as I stand up and head towards the door. I'm dead inside right now. Gin knows how to defeat me and he will blackmail me with it every time I try to stand up for Sasuke. The boy must hate me right now.

Reaching over, I slowly pull back the lock, Gin not hesitating a second before bursting into the room, an evil grin spread across his features. He loves winning. Sasuke curls up more tightly, screwing shut his eyes in a desperate attempt to block out what's happening. Immediately, he heads towards the frightened boy.

"Gin," I state defeatidly. "Please don't hurt him. I'm begging you… please, please don't hurt him."

"He's mine and I'll do what I want with him," Gin scorns in response, his voice frighteningly emotionless as he grabs Sasuke by the arm and roughly drags him to his feet, the boy letting out a small whimper of pain from the force. Gin looks at me disapprovingly, like an adult would look at a disobedient child, before pushing Sasuke out of the room, the boy crashing into the wall facing the door.

I stand helpless as the boy turns around to look at me briefly before he's dragged away. That look will be burned into the back of my mind for as long as I live. The slowly strengthening walls of trust between us Sasuke had been building up have crumbled, that look reflected in his face. Pain, fear, disappointment, hopelessness and anger all combined into one stare. His world has collapsed around him.

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**The next day…**

Needless to say I didn't sleep that night and I haven't been able to think straight this morning. I haven't seen Sasuke since yesterday, and in all honesty, I've been avoiding him and I think he's been doing the same to me. That's twice I've betrayed him… I can't face him right now.

"Kakashi! How are you this fine evening?" Gin chants as he catches up behind me.

I don't fucking believe this. How the hell can he keep acting like nothing has happened?

"Fine," I state, not allowing any emotion to creep into my voice.

"Good, good! Once the snow clears up I was thinking we should take a trip to the shore and go out fishing in my new yacht, just like old times, eh? I'll even let you steer!" he smiles as he pats me on the back.

"No thanks."

"Oh come on! You love going out in the boat. I've just bought a new one, and it's twice the size of the one you remember from when you were a kid. It even has better heating inside!"

"I said no thanks," I hiss, averting my eyes so not to make contact with his.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gin snaps.

"I just don't feel like going out," I hiss again in response.

This is unbelievable. Does he actually expect me to forget about everything that happened yesterday? What sort of crazy fucking world does he live in? This man isn't right in the head.

"THEN STAY THE FUCK INSIDE!" He yells before storming off up the hall like a spoilt child in the midst of throwing a tantrum. I let out a loud sigh when I hear a door slam further along the corridor. This is ridiculous, honestly, I need somewhere to go and sit down, far away from anyone who lives in this house until I can clear my head.

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Flopping down on a sofa in the living room, I reach over and pick up the nearest newspaper. I desperately need to take my mind of everything that has happened in the last 24 hours. Wishful thinking.

A loud bang causes my heart to leap from shock as I jump about six inches in the air, dropping the newspaper on to my lap.

"Tea?" Sasuke spits sarcastically as he throws the cup down on the saucer he threw previously.

The colour drains from my face. I really didn't want to see him today. He looks pretty much as I expected him to though, bruised, his face swollen and sore, a perfect reminder of my pathetic weakness. At least he is still able to walk, a small consolation at the very least. My heart drops even more than it already has and for the first time I wish Sasuke would just go away.

"Tea?" he says again, making sure that I'm in direct viewing range of his injuries.

"No," I whisper and take a deep breath. "I'm so sorry… about what happened yesterday…"

"Hmmph," Sasuke grunts angrily. "If you don't want tea, then I'll be off."

And with that he left. Tears start to swell up in my eyes, this is getting too much. I wish I'd never fucking come here, I wish I'd never met Sasuke and I still thought of Gin in the same way I did when I was younger. Everything was so much simpler back then. Feeling sick to my stomach, I think about what Gin probably did to Sasuke, the thought that the boy seems to hate me now in the same way he hates pretty much everyone who comes to this house. I'm just like the rest of them now.

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I can't stop thinking about Sasuke and its driving me crazy. The thing is that in the short while I've known him, I've come to care about him more than I ever imagined I would, but I can't protect him, I can't bring myself to rescue him. I'm such a selfish human being…. NO! I screw shut my eyes. I'm not selfish…

Suddenly a familiar cry sounds from a nearby room. I know what's happening but I've already accepted that there's nothing I can do about it, if I go in there I'll just make things worse than they already are and I can't handle that just now. Besides, if I even so much as attempt to try and break up the situation, Gin will play the family card again on me since now he's fully aware of the extent it will work and the reaction it has on me. Bastard.

Drowning out Sasuke's cries of pain, I march quickly down the hall, desperate to get as far away from the situation as possible. Gin has won. He's fully aware that he can doing anything to the boy now and I won't question it, and he's damn well making the most of my weakness, making up for lost time so to speak. I hate him. It's not long before I hear footsteps running towards me. It's definitely not Gin, the footsteps are too light. Sasuke suddenly darts past me, partially covered, his clothes torn. He didn't so much as stop to acknowledge me, but I can't exactly blame him for that. Still, I'm worried… maybe I should go after him, but maybe he doesn't want me near him right now. Trying to comfort him would probably just make things worse, although I have to try. If he tells me to 'get the fuck away from him' then I guess I'll just do what he wants.

I decide to follow him and quickly take off down the corridor behind him, resisting calling his name in case Gin hears me. I want him to think that I'm having nothing more to do with him. I'm quite surprised that Gin didn't follow him actually, if the boy ran away then there's no way he would let him get away with it. I suppose Gin must have finished with him and released him to go and lick his wounds. The chase leads me to the main entrance hall of the house. Sasuke isn't there; perhaps he's hiding in a room around here or something until his tormentor calms down. It's hard to tell. My heart abruptly jumps when I notice the front door is open. What the hell? There's NO way Sasuke would dare leave this house on his own unless Gin allowed him, but Gin would never allow him.

Slowly I creep towards the door and to my surprise I can see small footprints in the snow leading away from the house. Shit! Sasuke, no! My heart almost stops. I have to find him before Gin notices he's gone or else there will be serious trouble. I honestly didn't think Sasuke had it in him to run away, but I guess the boy has reached his absolute limit, peaked by my betraying of him to Gin. This is my fault, I know it is. If I don't find him he will freeze to death. If I don't bring him back before Gin finds out he's run away, he will probably break the boy's neck in a fit of rage.

It's fucking mid – December and Sasuke has taken off wearing next to nothing before Gin prefers it if he dresses like a fucking whore! Quickly I grab my coat, throw it over my shoulders and sprint out of the house in search of him. As soon as I'm far enough a way from the building, I scream out Sasuke's name as I follow his footsteps and the little trail of blood staining the crisp, untouched snow. As the footsteps get further away from the house, it occurs to me that he's running towards the river. FUCK! He's not going to… is he? Adrenaline kicks in and my pace quickens, desperate to catch up to the boy before he does something stupid. In the darkness I can see a small figure ahead of me running towards the bridge. Swiftly panic sets in and for a brief moment I can't tell if this is all a bad dream or not. I wish it was.

"SASUKE!" I scream, causing the boy to stop momentarily and look over his shoulder at me, but immediately starts running again as soon as he works out who I am. Thankfully, in his weakened state he's unable to outpace me and its not long before I've almost caught up with him. Climbing the steps of the bridge as quickly as I can, I'm almost near enough to grab him. The water below us is freezing cold, deep and fast moving. If he jumps in he won't last long at all. If he doesn't succumb first to drowning, then the icy-coldness of the almost frozen water will kill him for sure. Even the strongest swimmer couldn't manage the current and I can't jump in after him because it would be suicide for me as well!

I watch in horror as he climbs up and kneels on the bridge wall. I'm almost in reaching distance… my heart is ready to burst from the effort, the adrenaline keeping me going. He turns and looks at me, his eyes red and swollen from crying.

"I'm so sorry Kakashi…" he whispers as he leans forward, closes his eyes and allows his body to fall.

**End of chapter 5**

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Thank you for reading! Well, Kakashi is about to get the kick up the backside he needed, and kind of deserved also. Things are looking quite bleak at the moment for Sasuke and Kakashi, poor Sasuke has reached breaking point. In this story I don't want to portray Kakashi as a conventional hero if you know what I mean. Even though he's my favourite character, I don't want him to be perfect, to always know the right thing to do and say and be able to defeat Gin too easily. I want to make him seem human, complete with all his imperfections and weaknesses. It's too easy to make him perfect, so please forgive me for allowing Kakashi to be so pathetic in this fic; his character will improve though as it goes on, I promise lol. He'll get stronger.

Please review and let me know what you think so far and if you're happy enough for me to continue. I'm sorry my updates haven't been as frequent, but your reviews make me determined to put everything aside and get writing! In another few weeks I'll have loads more free time, so I'll be able to update once a week again like I usually do. I promise I will finish this story.

See you next chapter! :D

Laura xx


	6. Chapter 6

**The Secret: Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi… sadly….

**Author's Note**: As usual, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, even the negative reviews! I just want you to know that I respect your opinion and if you're brave enough to leave your contact details with the anonymous reviews, I'm not going to cuss you out or anything. I'm not like that. If anything, I just want to know how you would do things differently. You know, how do you think I could make the story better? :)

Anyways, sorry to cruelly leave you all at such a tense moment! Please enjoy the next chapter! I'm going to let you in on a little part of the secret to apologise for being so mean! ;)

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**(Kakashi's point of view for the entire chapter)**

It's like everything around me has descended into slow motion. Sasuke's body falls forward just out of my reach, his eyes shut peacefully and his arms reaching out to the cold, deadly water below. He might never forgive me for doing this, but I'm not going to have him fall to his death in front of me if there's anything I can do about it. A final boost of adrenaline propels me forward and I manage to wrap an arm around his fragile waist and pull him backwards before his entire body falls over the side and lands in the icy water beneath. The force in which I grabbed him and pulled him back causes me to lose my footing. I fall backwards onto the hard concrete, Sasuke landing unceremoniously on top of me. Immediately he starts to struggle.

"WHY DID YOU STOP ME!?" He cries, tears streaming down his cheeks as he kicks and fights, desperate to get back to his feet so that he can flee from me. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY FAMILY ANYMORE! I WANT OUT!!"

"Shhhh, Sasuke calm down, it's ok, I'm here. Please calm down," I beg, using my superior strength to keep him pinned to the ground. I can't risk letting him get away so I will have to restrain him using whatever force happens to be necessary.

"NOOOOOO!" He screams. "LET ME GO!!"

Suddenly, my eyes water from an unexpected, sharp pain that takes over my senses as Sasuke sinks his teeth deeply into my arm. I let out a loud cry and briefly let go of him for a few seconds from the shock. Seizing the opportunity, he tries to get to his feet and run off, but I manage to grab his ankle before he can get up fully and pull him back down to the ground. My arm stings and I'm taken aback by how desperate Sasuke is to escape from me. He must think that I've completely taken Gin's side and that I'm going to return him to his tormentor, who will in turn punish him severely for running away. I guess I can't blame him for thinking that, I have become very good at betraying him lately after all.

There's no point in trying to talk to him until he calms down. I'm not going to get anywhere with him in this state. Avoiding his sharp little teeth this time, I use my body weight to keep him pinned to the ground until he gives up the fight and submits to me.

"Please let me die," he whimpers as his tired body eventually becomes motionless beneath me.

"No, I can't do that," I sigh sadly in response.

Sure that he's not going to try and run away, I loosen my grip on him, and allow him to sit up and lean his exhausted body against the wall of the bridge. He's shivering violently, so I remove my coat and wrap it around him. Without warning, he buries his head deep into my chest and begins cries his little heart out. I've seen him upset and in tears before, but never like this. The poor thing is in a mess right now, and I don't know what to do or say to make it better. There is nothing I can say. If actions can speak louder than words, then I've completely destroyed him by betraying him and returning him to Gin after vowing to protect him. I wish I could take that back, but I can't. I have to live with it for the rest of my life. Who the hell am I anyway to offer him words of advice and comfort when it's my fault he's in this pathetic state right now in the first place? I just don't know how I'm supposed to comfort him because I can't protect him or make everything better. We're both trapped and I'm the most useless one.

I remain silent, wrap my arm around him and pull him close. Will I have to return him to Gin? What else can I do? I can't leave him out here to freeze, or worse. There's nowhere else I can bring him either. Or is there? Seeing just how far Sasuke has been pushed and the extent that he's willing to go just to get away, slices deeply into my heart. He's so young but he's had absolutely no life. He's kept locked up in that house, never allowed to go outside or even develop a friendship with someone without Gin destroying it for him. Keeping Sasuke isolated and locked away is cruel, but not as cruel as what I did to him. I need to fix this.

"Sasuke, I'm taking you with me," I blurt out from my heart before my head finds the opportunity to stop me.

"What?" Sasuke looks up at me. His eyes are red and swollen from crying and his nose has leaked blood all down his nose and chin from his last run in with Gin. I carefully try to wipe the blood away with my hand.

Fuck the money.

"You heard me. I'm not leaving you with him, you are going to come and live with me, alright?"

"I wish it was that simple," he sobs. "I'm trapped. He has me trapped."

"How are you trapped Sasuke?"

He takes a deep breath, but it's not enough to control his sobbing as he buries his head into my chest once again, hoping that I'll drop the subject. That's not going to happen.

"Please tell me," I whisper to him. I can't tell if he'll reveal any of his secret to me now or not, after all, it's not like he trusts me anymore. He probably thinks I'm going to run off and tell Gin everything, but I have to keep trying. Finally, to my surprise, he breaks the awkward silence between us.

"My father ran up a huge dept and he couldn't pay it back…" he sighs, his head still buried against me.

"What?" I look down at him in shock, is he finally opening up to me?

"The only way he could afford to pay it back was to borrow money because if he couldn't pay it back then we risked eviction. None of the banks would lend my father anything because he already had outstanding loans he was still trying to pay back. As a last resort, he turned to Gin and begged him for a loan of £15,000 to get us out of dept. Gin agreed and lent him the money, but demanded that my father pay him back almost immediately with £5,000 interest added on. My father couldn't pay him back, it was impossible, he barely made enough to cover the bills and feed us, let alone pay everything back all in one go because Gin refused to let him pay in installments. Anyway, Gin decided that I would be payment enough, so I was exchanged in order to cancel the loan."

"Fuck…" is all that I can manage to mutter right now. So Sasuke was exchanged like a piece of property for the sake of paying off a loan that had nothing to do with him in the first place? I can't believe what he just told me, £15,000 is nothing to Gin; in fact he can blow that amount in one day's gambling and think nothing of it. He could have easily let that loan slide, but I guess he really wanted Sasuke and lured his family into a trap so that they would be forced to hand him over.

"He considers me 'his' property," Sasuke whispers, desperately trying to hold back his tears. "I can't run away, escape with anyone or even commit suicide because if I do he says he will kill my family. I put up with what he does to me in order to protect their lives. If I leave here with you… he will kill them."

"He wouldn't do that…" I gasp in disbelief. Yes, Gin is a cruel, heartless monster, but he's not a murderer… there's no way…

"YES HE WOULD!" Sasuke cries and snaps me out of my daze. "You don't know him as well as you think you do! He has killed before you know!"

"WHAT? How the hell would you know that Sasuke?" I gasp. No, there's no way, Gin isn't a murderer, surely the boy is making this up!

"BECAUSE HE KILLED SOMEONE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" Sasuke yells. "I saw it! I saw him do it! He had a disagreement with some guy who came to his house. I don't know the exact details over what they were arguing about, but I think it over money or something. I was there at the time in the next room with the door left wide open because he was planning to take my virginity that night three years ago before the other guy burst in, disrupting him as he was tearing my clothes off! The two of them got into a huge fight and Gin pulled out a knife and stabbed the man in the heart, killing him almost instantly! Then he turned his attention to me, still covered in the other guy's blood and raped me. Afterwards, he pinned me down and told me that if I ever ran away, kill myself or even so much as speak of the incident again, he would kill my family in the most slow and painful way possible!"

I don't know what to say right now… that look in Sasuke's face… he's not lying. I can't hold back my tears any longer. I feel guilty for not believing him initially.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry…" I wrap both my arms around him and pull him as close to me as possible, both of us with tears falling down our cheeks. He grabs hold of me and curls up tightly. It must be such a weight of his shoulders to finally share his secret with somebody, the secret he'd bottled up for three years that probably annihilated him emotionally. I wish I could take back how I betrayed him. I didn't know he'd already been put through so much. I didn't know how much pain he was in, aside from what I could see physically. I didn't know that his family sold him, I'm angry at them but most of all I'm angry at myself for trusting Gin. I don't want his money, it's worthless to me now. I could never leave this place knowing what happened to Sasuke, abandon him there and still be able to sleep at night.

"He got away with it too…" Sasuke breaks the silence again as he sobs and gasps into my chest. "He got away with it! He has friends in really high places and used bribes to make the police and the coroner claim that his victim committed suicide."

I'm still in shock from what I've been told. My body won't move; it's frozen to the spot where I'm sitting, Sasuke lying, sobbing frantically against me. My world is falling to pieces. The man I trusted, the valuable family friend who looked after us after my father died, who made sure we were alright, who helped me better myself through an expensive education I would never have been able to afford otherwise. I don't know what to think anymore. I can't change the past, but I can manipulate the future. I need to find some way to take Sasuke away from here, look after him and at the same time ensure that his family are not harmed, although in my opinion I think they deserve it. How could they sell their child to a monster like Gin? I mean, they must have known what his character is like and furthermore, they must have known what he wanted Sasuke for and at such a young age too. He would have barely been in his teens when he was first sent here. It sickens me.

The boy's violent shivering snaps me back into reality and I remember that he's wearing very little except for my coat.

"Sasuke," I state, trying to regain my composure. "Let's return to the house and we can get into my car and go to a hotel for a few days until Gin calms downs. Then we can decide what to do from there. You're freezing and we can't stay out here in the cold."

Sasuke looks to the ground and nods shyly before I help him get to his feet. I wish I could promise him that everything will be alright, but I don't know if that will be or not. If Gin was able to kill someone so easily, then both our lives could be in danger, especially Sasuke. He's still shivering despite being wrapped up on my coat, but I suppose such a small and delicate little thing like him isn't really built to handle the cold. I keep my arm wrapped tightly around him to guide him as he limps back to his prison.

"Just out of curiosity," I ask him to split the silence. "How did he explain having you in his house when his friends came over? Surely they must have been suspicious?"

"The same way he tried to explain it off to you. He told them that I was a prostitute who he had 'kindly' taken in from the street so long as I satisfied him and whoever else wanted me. Most people believed it, you're the first person who didn't."

"The story didn't make sense," I smile and run my hand through his hair which is now soaked through from the snow.

"Gin's friends aren't really his friends," the boy adds. "They pretty much suck up to him to see what they can get. They wouldn't question him about me anyway, he probably thought the same about you."

As we continue to walk back, eventually Gin's house comes into view and I immediately feel Sasuke begin to tense up. This time I will do whatever I have to do to protect him, and I really mean it this time. I'm not exactly sure how just yet, but I am going to save this boy. The money doesn't mean a thing to me anymore. I can get by on my own and support both my mother and Sasuke. I don't need Gin and his tainted fortune.

**End of Chapter 6 **

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Thank you so much for reading! At long last Kakashi is in the process of sorting himself out! He still has to get by Gin though, and Gin sure as hell isn't going to let Sasuke go without a fight. Will they get away with all their limbs intact or will Kakashi betray Sasuke again? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out! :D

As for the secret, I've only revealed a part of it and there's still more to come, but that won't be for a while just yet. Please, please, please review and let me know if you still like the direction this story is heading in. I'm still very busy at the moment, but after the next week or so I should be able to return to more regular updates but exams and stuff are getting in the way! Gah! :( Anyway, your reviews encourage me to keep writing and thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate it!

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	7. Chapter 7

**The Secret: Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi.

**Author's note**: Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews! I can't express enough how much they mean to me. Thank you also to everyone who has taken the time to read this story so far. I hope you are still enjoying it! :D

Apologies once more for the long wait for updates, but it won't be long before they get frequent again. I promise! So… on with the next chapter, thanks for your patience and please enjoy the next installment! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view for the entire chapter)**

"My car is just around the back of the house," I say with a smile, hoping to reassure Sasuke. "There is a hotel about 10 miles away, we'll stay there for the time being until Gin calms down and then we can work out what to do from there."

He nods in response. Instantly when we came through the front gates, Sasuke sunk back into himself and has remained silent since, his eyes resembling those of a terrified rabbit caught in headlights. Perhaps he regrets telling me what he did earlier, but he can't take it back and in my opinion he's worrying unnecessarily about it, he needed to tell someone before he went insane and he almost did. His desperate attempt to end his own life speaks for itself. He can't stay here. He will die either way, by his own hand or via Gin's rage. Although I can understand why he is so frightened, he just did the one thing that Gin drilled into him never to do, if Gin found out I dread to think about the outcome. I hope he trusts me enough to know that this time around I will not let anyone hurt him, even if I have to die myself and I mean that.

I'm about to guide him around the back of the house to my car when I realise I don't have my keys. They are inside.

"Shit!" I gasp, instantly regretting it when the look on Sasuke's face turns a whole shade whiter than usual, the fear in his eyes deepening. It's not a good idea to let him think that anything is wrong at this stage. I want to get him out of here smoothly, bring him to safety then face my fear, phone Gin and tell him what's happening for the time being. I don't think I'll tell him where myself and Sasuke are though, I might as well have a death wish if I do that. He will be raging at first, but then he'll calm down, I know he will. Gin acts on impulse, once he's had enough time to think things over, he won't act quite so impetuously… I hope. It will be best for all of us anyway. Sasuke will have some time away from Gin and the confines of the house, so hopefully he will be able to relax and get some rest without the constant fear of his tormentor abusing him keeping him awake at night. Gin could all too easily do something he regrets to the boy right now, so he definitely needs the time to calm himself down before Sasuke comes anywhere near him.

"Sasuke, I'm going to have to leave you here for a minute. My car keys are inside but I'll be back in no time," I smile to him. "You stay here."

I did think about bringing him inside with me briefly, he's freezing cold standing out there, but I can't take the risk of Gin catching me with him. The boy is cold and soaked through, more than obvious he's been outside. Gin will fly of the rails if he suspects that for a second, Sasuke is not allowed outside without permission. Ever. No exceptions.

He tries hard to smile back at me, but it is weak and forced. He can't hide his fear and I can't blame him either. Leaving him hidden in the shadows wrapped up in my coat, I quickly dart inside and up the stairs, silently praying that I don't run into Gin. The car keys are on top of my desk; I grab them quickly and shove them into my pocket. As much as I want to make a mad dash back to Sasuke, I can't risk having Gin hear my panicked footsteps. I need to stay calm, act as if everything is normal and that I'm not trying to make of with his prized 'trophy'. I quicken my pace as I reach the front door, but the shrill, panicked sound of Sasuke crying my name makes my blood run cold.

"No! Just fucking no!" I cry to myself and sprint out of the door, adrenaline kicking in just as much as previously when the boy was about to hurl himself of a bridge! To be honest, it doesn't surprise me that Gin has found him. We were away a long time and he was bound to have become suspicious. More than likely he was actually been searching for the boy himself. All he needed to do was open the front door and see Sasuke's footsteps running away from the house and mine following in pursuit. I bet Gin knew I would have to bring him back here, I bet he knew and was fucking waiting for us to get back. The anger propels me forward faster than the adrenaline. I want to kick his fucking face in.

To my relief, Sasuke appears from almost out of nowhere, confused, shaking and in a complete state of panic. His breath comes in uncontrollable gasps as he clutches onto me as if his life depended on it. In fact, his life probably does depend on it as I see Gin appearing out of the darkness, his face and cheeks flushed red and his hands curled up tightly into a fist. The relief was short-lived. He doesn't look human; there is a look of pure murder in his eyes of primal instinct like a lion closing in for the kill. I wrap my arm around Sasuke protectively. I'm not going to run away and betray him like last time. Right now I hate Gin more than anyone else in the world. I have to keep telling myself that he's not as strong as he looks, he gets perverse pleasure from beating up a defenseless young boy, how the hell does that make him strong or powerful? It's all an act, a carefully constructed image.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HIM!" I yell at the top of my lungs, my face filling with fury.

"Or you'll do what?" Gin sneers emotionlessly as he steps towards Sasuke at the same menacing pace. I didn't even slow him down! I need to make this bastard acknowledge me! I'm not backing down!

Sasuke stares at him approaching with wide eyes. He takes a step backwards and almost looses his footing when he sees his tormentor raising his fist, ready to strike with a sadistic grin on his face. He loves hurting the boy. He thrives on Sasuke's fear as it spurs him on like a drug, making him crave more and more. It's a thrill to him.

The next few seconds happen almost in slow motion. Gin steps towards Sasuke who is now frozen to the spot, staring into the cruel eyes of his attacker, his limbs unable to move. Without thinking, I push Sasuke out of the way, causing him to land heavily with a thud on the ground next to me. As Gin's fist crushes into the side of my face, at first I feel nothing, the shock acting as a temporary dose of morphine. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth snaps me back into reality, an intense, sharp sting soon follows. He almost fucking knocked me out. It takes a moment for my blurry vision to return to normal as I try to retain my balance, refusing to fall to the ground. This is what Sasuke must feel almost every day of his life. The difference is that the force knocks the delicate boy to the ground pretty much every time. I only just stayed on my feet, Sasuke gets thrown around like a rag-doll.

"Kakashi!" Gin's voice bellows, sounding almost compassionate, sorry even. I'm in too much of a daze right now to know for sure. I feel like I've been hit by a car and the side of my face aches and throbs relentlessly. It's probably already started to swell up. Looking down at Sasuke, he stares back at me, a look of complete bewilderment spreading across his features. I suppose this is the first time anyone has ever taken a punch for him, especially from Gin; that guy's fists are like fucking battering rams. You'd be mad to get in the way of them intentionally.

"Why did you get in the way?" Gin shouts as he offers me a hand to steady myself. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"It has everything to do with me!" I blurt out as I back away from his extended arm. "Sasuke has taken enough beatings from you and I can't bear standing back and letting it happen anymore. If you're going to hit somebody, at least hit somebody who might have a chance at hitting back!"

My heart slams roughly against the walls of my chest as I prepare myself to speak my next words. I don't know how he's going to react. I steady myself with a deep breath.

"Gin, I'm leaving and I'm taking Sasuke with me."

This time it's Gin who almost buckled over and hit the ground. I'm sure that was definitely the last thing he was expecting me to say. He's taken aback, probably in shock for the first time in his life."

"w..w..what?" he stammers.

"I said I'm taking Sasuke with me. He deserves better than this, I can't turn a blind eye to the abuse any long…"

"DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Gin screams, interrupting my sentence, his cheeks flushing red once again from the effort. "THAT BOY IS MY PROPERTY AND HE STAYS WHERE HE IS! END OF FUCKING STORY!"

Sasuke continues to stare up at me from his position on the ground, his jaw wide open. I don't think he really believed me when I said I was going to rescue him, but right now he knows it's true. I've said it to Gin right in front of him and I'm not taking it back.

"I'm not leaving him here Gin," I hiss once again as I walk over to the bewildered boy and pull him to his feet.

"Listen to me right now you idiot," Gin sneers. "If you leave and take that boy with you, I swear you will not receive a single penny from me, you here that? NOTHING! And that's millions Kakashi, we're talking about millions here. Think about your poor mother."

And so, I faced the biggest moral dilemma of my life. If I choose Sasuke, I lose financial security for my family for as long as we live. My mother will never know the life I want her to have and this would be the biggest disappointment in the world for her. When she found out that I was to be Gin's heir, it was the happiest I'd ever seen her. Her eyes lit up for the first time in years, her lips curled upwards into a smile and she wrapped her arms around me tighter than she had ever done before. She has not had an easy life and after my father killed himself, everything became even worse for her financially and emotionally. She's never known what it is like to have money as her life has consisted of sacrificing everything for me so that I could have a happy childhood. This was my one chance to pay her back, say 'thank you' and let her live out the rest of her days in peace and luxury. But then again, Sasuke _will_ lose his life if he stays here, that can't be denied. I can't live with that knowing everything he's been through from such a young age. I can't abandon him, I'm not cruel enough.

I feel his hands tightening their grip on my shirt as he buries his head against me. He knows that Gin has played the 'mother' card against me and he can't possibly expect to win against that. It's Gin's ultimate defense after all and he wins every time. I hear his quiet sobs as he prepares himself for the worst. Betrayed again.

I'm not going to betray him. I care about this boy more than he will ever know. Taking another deep breath and stare back into Gin's cold, emotionless eyes. A small, defiant smile spreads across my lips.

"I choose Sasuke."

**End of Chapter 7**

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Thank you for reading! I apologise for any bad grammar/spelling/other major mistakes in this chapter, its 2am in the morning and the computer screen has gone kinda blurry lol. But at last Kakashi has finally made his decision, but how will Gin take it? Not well I'd imagine, but you will have to wait until the next chapter to find out! :P This story is far from over mind you, so just that Kakashi has made his decision does not mean that it's the end! :D Please review and let me know if you still like where I'm taking this. More of the secret will be revealed in later chapters, but not just for a while yet. Hopefully there will be some lemony goodness to come too! :D

Again, thank you to everyone who reads this and everyone who has taken the time to review. It means a lot and it keeps me going! :D I'm off to bed, see you next chapter!

Laura xx


	8. Chapter 8

**The Secret: Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi

**Author's Notes**: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it means so much to me to hear your feedback and to know that everyone seems happy with how the story is turning out. Please enjoy the next installment! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view for the entire chapter)**

"Hnn!" Gin grunts as he smiles sarcastically at me and folds his arms across his chest. I don't think he believes me. I know that look in his eyes, he's going to try and blackmail me out of my decision, to try and get me to leave here without Sasuke. That isn't going to happen; he can try as hard as he wants. Wrapping my arm tightly around Sasuke, holding him close, I wait for his response.

"Isn't that cute," he glares at me with the same sarcastic look on his face, his lips upturned into that damn sarcastic smirk that drives me insane. "Have you fallen in love with the worthless little runt? How quaint, I'll have to admit I never saw that one coming. Sasuke, you little slut! How many times have you opened your legs for him?"

I feel my cheeks reddening, that bastard has changed his tactics against me. He wants to get me under his control again now that the mother card has failed. I do have feelings for Sasuke, but I certainly didn't want the boy to know that but Gin must have worked it out. I don't want the boy to think that I'm only after one thing from him; he'd never regain his trust in me if he thought that. He looks up at me, the confused look on his face deepening. I can't hide the truth from him any longer, he can see through me, the look on my face and the emotion in my eyes giving everything away. Yes, I am in love with Sasuke but I've been trying to deny it since day one, I know I can't have him in that way and if I acknowledge my feelings they will end up tearing me apart.

"I wouldn't trust him Sasuke," Gin smirks before I have a chance to reply. His bellowing voice immediately grasps the boy's attention, causing him to bring his eyes back into focus with those of his abuser. "He'll use you, just like everyone else does. He'll fuck you and then discard you…"

"THAT'S A FUCKING LIE GIN AND YOU KNOW IT!" I scream. The bastard! He's playing on Sasuke's insecurities and fears, trying to turn the already unsure boy against me. I can feel the anger boiling up inside the pit of my stomach! How dare he say these things! Every time I think he's stooped as low as he can get, he always manages to surprise me by lowering the bar further still.

"How is it a lie Kakashi? You handed him back over to me so easily last time when you swore you would protect him. Do you remember? I'm sure Sasuke remembers. He'll do it again you know," he smiles at the frightened boy. "Your knight in shining armour there and myself have a deal, Sasuke. He plays the hero, rescues you and takes you home with him as his prize, fucks you until he's bored, then he will send you back to me once he's had enough of you…"

"FUCKING LIES!" I scream at the top of my lungs, my cheeks starting to burn red from the anger. Lower! He's stooping fucking lower! He wants to shatter any thread of trust Sasuke might have left in me by filling his head with lies to try and make the boy hate me. I would never do those things to Sasuke, I'd never hurt him and most of all, I'd never abandon him. I've learned my lesson, it will never happen again. Once I take him away from here, that's it! He never returns.

I feel the boy's once tight grip on my shirt loosening as he starts to back away from me with a look of disappointment in his eyes. A quick glimpse at Gin suggests that he's glowing, he's winning once again. I quickly look away and return my attention to Sasuke, he's much more important than trying to battle verbally with Gin. The boy is so vulnerable at the minute; in his already confused and frightened state he's impressionable and not thinking straight. I know he doesn't trust me fully just yet, and Gin is playing on that, trying to amplify his biggest fears to turn him against me.

"Sasuke, it's a lie. He's lying. I'd never do that to you!" I cry as the boy backs away from me. He looks as if he's about to run.

"It's not a lie," Gin smirks calmly, enjoying the chaos he has created as he tries to destroy the boy's life further.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I scream in response but quickly block him from my mind. "Sasuke, please, don't listen to him. He's trying to turn you against me with lies. I love you so much, please don't believe him. I'd never hurt you or use you! You know that!"

Tears swell up in my eyes. I can't believe Gin is doing this to him. Why won't he let this poor creature have any sort of life? Sasuke deserves to be happy, he doesn't deserve this. Nobody deserves this! He's already destroyed the boy's trust in humanity and everything associated with it. What more is he planning to do? Surely watching this poor boy crumbling before him is enough to satisfy his perverse pleasures. Why won't he let him go?

"If you don't come with me, you're letting him win!" I shout at Sasuke who still looks at me with uncertainty.

"He'll use you then abandon you," Gin interrupts. "I know him; I know what he's like."

Its clear Sasuke doesn't know what to think or who to believe. He knows I've betrayed him in the past, he must think I'm capable of doing it again. Gin has annihilated his trust and I unwittingly helped. His eyes are filled with fear as I approach him. He's not thinking straight at the minute, fear and panic have clouded his better judgment. All I can hope is that he makes the right choice and comes to me.

"Sasuke, please," I beg, desperation sounding in my voice. "Please don't listen to him." If I leave without him, Gin will kill him. I'm sure of it. I have to get Sasuke to come with me. "Sasuke, I love you. Please don't believe him! He's messing with your mind!"

Sasuke suddenly stops backing away from me and lets me approach him. He bursts into tears as I wrap my arms around him and pull him close to me. The relief just can't be described; I can get him away from here now and bring him somewhere safe. He still must have some trust in me, but I'm going to have to work hard to build on it from here. My biggest regret in life is betraying him when I did, but it will never happen again. I _will_ win his trust fully again.

"Touching…" Gin rolls his eyes, interrupting our moment. "Kakashi, if you leave here with that boy, not only will you not receive a single penny from me, I swear I will make your life a living hell. I know people in high places, I can do whatever the fuck I want," he grins at me as I look directly into his cruel eyes. "You will never have peace."

"If you come near me or this boy again, I will expose all of your dirty little secrets," I hiss in response. "I know you have a lot of connections, but you can't have control over every police force in the country. If you hurt Sasuke or anyone he cares about then I will get the police involved and any other party that's necessary. This is where I'll make a deal with you. You leave Sasuke, his family and myself alone and I'll keep your secrets hidden. I know more than you think Gin, and I won't hesitate to drag your secrets to the surface and destroy you."

Gin narrows his eyes at me.

"How much do you know?" His voice doesn't sound as strong and collected as it did previously, perhaps I've struck a nerve. Now it's my turn to return the blackmail. I don't care about everything he's done for me in the past anymore, it won't stop me from destroying him if I need too.

"I know enough and I don't want anymore to do with you." I reply without looking at him and turn around to walk to my car, Sasuke following nervously. He slides his hand into mine.

"You think that scares me? But fine, I'll stay out of your life but I still think you're making a big mistake Kakashi. Good luck explaining your decision to your mother and enjoy your poverty-ridden future with that worthless boy." He spins around on his heels and storms off like a spoiled child in the midst of a tantrum who didn't get his own way. He must be fuming at the minute, I need to grab my stuff and get out of here as fast as I can before he explodes. He said he'd stay out of my life, but somehow I just don't believe him. There's trouble ahead; I can sense it. I think Sasuke can too, but I hold him close and comfort him as much as I can as we walk over to my car. I'm not certain about what's going to happen to us now, but one thing I am certain about is that I haven't seen the last of Gin.

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Sasuke has fallen asleep, curled up on the front seat of my car, wrapped up in a tattered old blanket I found in the boot of my car. He's mentally and physically drained after today, but I am too. I force back a yawn as I concentrate on the road ahead of me, the whole time looking out for a hotel we can spend the night in. I try to piece together the events of today in my head, but none of them seem real. Perhaps this is all a really elaborate dream and I haven't woken up from it yet, but the sound of Sasuke's soft breathing reminds me that everything is real. He's here beside me and I gave up millions to have him. I feel sick to the pit of my stomach when I think about breaking the news to my mother that we aren't going to be millionaires, now or ever. It will break her heart, but Sasuke is a sweet boy, he'll win her over, I hope. I'm sure that once she learns about his past, she will understand why I made the decision I did, that and the fact I've fallen for him. I don't think I'll ever be with him romantically though. I don't think he feels the same way about me as I do about him, plus I'm sure a relationship is the last thing on his mind right now.

"Kakashi?" he whispers as he stretches slightly, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I smile, happy to hear his voice.

He takes a deep breath and looks down to the floor, unable to look me in the eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

"What are you sorry for, you don't need to be sorry…"

"I destroyed everything for you, I'm sorry. Your family needed that money; I wasn't worth giving everything up for and making your mother unhappy. Maybe you should, just… give me back…" his voice shakes as he delivers the last line of his sentence. He had to force it out of his mouth.

"Give you back to Gin? You are joking with me?" I gasp. "Sasuke, I made my decision and I chose you. I'm not sending you back there, nor am I going to abandon you. I'm going to look after you, make sure you go back to school and that you get well again. Don't feel guilty for anything. My mother will understand and I'm sure she'll adore you so don't worry, we'll be fine. It might be a bit hectic at the start, but everything will fall into place soon enough. Let me do the worrying about all of that stuff, you don't need to even think about it."

I smile at him and I get a smile in response. He's calmed down a lot from earlier and he's not in the panicked state he was in previously. Thank goodness he's finally able to properly comprehend everything that's happened.

"You're exhausted Sasuke, go back to sleep for another while. I'll wake you when we get to a hotel," I instruct him and he happily curls up under the blanket again. I look at my watch. It's late. It will probably be a while before we reach a hotel so I better stay awake. I hope everything I told him turns out to be true, because to be honest, I don't know if everything will work out alright or not. I quit my last job so that I could get the time off to spend with Gin, so I'm not returning to any form of employment or a steady source of cash. I don't know if I even have enough money in my savings to pay for my next rent installment. Gin said that he could cover my rent while I was away and up until I found a new job, but I can't see that happening now. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I certainly don't want Sasuke to know just how desperate the situation is. I don't want him to worry about anything and I don't want him to feel guilty about it because he will; he's far more sensitive than he lets on. I also don't know how my mother will react to him either, and I'm worried that she'll resent him because he's the reason we're still desperately poor. I don't want to burden either of them with that but I have to be prepared for the worst.

Finally a hotel comes into view ahead of us and I can look forward to some sleep. I quickly drive into the car park before gently shaking Sasuke's shoulder to wake him. He lets out a yawn and stretches a bit before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He's still half asleep. I smile to myself and pull the blanket around his shoulders before he steps out of the car and follows me in a sleep-deprived daze to the reception desk. He's adorable.

The hotel definitely isn't the classiest place I've ever seen, but it will do. The once yellowish carpet has worn into more of a dull beige colour in certain places, the dull brown wallpaper is torn and the whole room stinks of cigarette smoke. It badly needs redecorated, the furnishings probably haven't seen a lick of polish, let alone ever been replaced since this hotel first opened, to which I'm guessing was probably sometime in the 1960s.

"Can I help you?" A rather bored receptionist asks me, breaking my thoughts as she turns down the volume of the mini television she's been watching.

"Yeah, I need a room for two."

"Just for tonight?" She asks, looking at me suspiciously and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, just for the night. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Alright… well, have fun," she mumbles under her breath as she reaches over to a set of keys hanging on the wall. I suddenly realise what she's implying.

"It's not what you think!" I blurt out in horror, but the look on her face suggests that she doesn't quite believe me. I can see why this probably looks suspicious to her, it's the middle of the night; I'm at a sleazy hotel looking for a room with a partially clothed and a quite possibly underage boy. My cheeks glow red as I take the keys from her and quickly usher the boy upstairs before anything can be said about the situation. I should have fucking left Sasuke in the car.

As we enter the room, my fears are confirmed. Yes, she gave us a double bed.

"Fuck…" I mutter under my breath, she must have thought I'm a dirty old pervert or something. This hotel probably gets a lot of less than respectable clientele. I hope Sasuke doesn't mind sharing a bed with me. I should have asked for two singles, but in my desperation to get away from the receptionist's accusing eyes, I didn't think to say.

Sasuke doesn't hesitate climbing on top of the bed and sliding underneath the sheets. This whole room looks filthy, I'm not sure if I want to touch anything but exhaustion gets the better of me and I kick off my shoes and climb into the bed next to the boy. I'd love a shower, but it can wait until morning.

"Are you alright?" I ask Sasuke before I turn the lights out. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," he says as he turns around to face me and suddenly his expression turns serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"Um… sure, you can ask me whatever you want."

"Kakashi, did you mean it when you said you loved me earlier?"

**End of Chapter 8 **

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Thank you for reading! Poor Kakashi has just been put in an awkward situation by Sasuke! I hope he doesn't manage to mess everything up! I was wondering if perhaps some of you kind people could help me out. Does anybody know the names of Kakashi's parents? All that I know is that his father was Konoha's White Fang, but I don't know his name. I'll be bringing Kakashi's mother into the next chapter and if I can't find out her name, then I'll have to make one up. Does anyone know??

Also, some of you have been asking about why the police haven't been involved yet. They will eventually become involved, but not just yet because it will ruin my fun for the time being lol. Kakashi and Gin do have a bit of a stalemate going on regarding the police situation, provided of course Gin stays the hell away. But will he though? Probably not… let's just say that Sasuke might unwittingly know a bit more than Kakashi thinks and Gin can't let that slide...

Please, please, please review and offer me your feedback, I really appreciate all your comments and input. Next chapter Sasuke gets to meet Kakashi's mum and possibly another part of the secret will be revealed. There will also be some Kakashi/Sasuke fluff! :D

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	9. Chapter 9

**The Secret: Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke or Kakashi.

**A/N**: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews! I really appreciate them. I was unsuccessful in my attempt to find out Kakashi's mother's name, so I will just use a nice name suggested to me by Fragmented Memory. I have no idea if it's right or not, but Misaki is a pretty name, so I'll go with that! (Come to think of it, it might be Ichigo's (Bleach) mother's name… dunno, I'm confused lol). Thank you to everyone who helped me find out Kakashi's father's name, Sakumo. You guys are awesome! Please enjoy the next chapter…

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

The expression on his face is serious; he's not joking around with me. What the hell am I supposed to say to him? I can't exactly declare my undying love for him right here, can I? He could be testing me. Maybe he wants to see if I can be trusted, and if I tell him the truth he might think that I'm only after one thing, just like Gin falsely warned him about. But if I lie, it might crush him. Has he asked me if I really love him because he has feelings in return? But he can't have feelings in that way… I mean he's just a kid. It could be that he's just confused at the minute and has no idea what he wants.

He stares at me as I look back in terror. My cheeks burn red. Maybe I can just subtly change the subject…

"Never mind Kakashi, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that," Sasuke quickly breaks his eye contact with me and lets out a quiet sigh. He can't hide his disappointment. Maybe he really does have feelings for me. All of a sudden I feel very guilty. I can't leave him hanging like that, especially when a response obviously means so much to him. I think he needs confirmation to put his mind at ease. Oh shit… I'm about to confess my feelings to a boy nearly a decade younger than me. This isn't how love is supposed to work, is it? He's not exactly underage, but he's barely legal as it is. He may have experienced many adult things in his life, but at the end of the day he's not an adult. He is a child who has been forced to grow up too fast; surely he hasn't got the maturity needed to maintain a relationship, especially with somebody so much older than him. I hope he proves me wrong but I'm probably going to regret this…

"Sasuke, wait," I gasp, lowering my head to conceal my burning cheeks. He immediately looks back at me, his eyes starting to brighten with hope. "I love you. I really love you. I want to be with yo…"

Before I can finish my sentence, his warm lips press against mine. It takes a few seconds for my mind to fully comprehend what the hell is going on. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder. After several moments of shock, I finally relax and begin to return the kiss. As our tongues meet and his delicate body sinks slowly into mine, I have a sudden change of heart. Maybe this will work out alright between us; perhaps I'm worrying about nothing. Sasuke has been through so much abuse in his life that surely he wouldn't do anything like this unless he's 100 sure it's what he wants. He would never place this much trust in somebody if he didn't think they deserved it. He knows better.

I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him further on top of me as we continue to kiss. Our tongues entwine and dance as our bodies remain embraced together. It feels right; there is nothing forced or hesitant about this moment. I feel his warm breath on my face as the kiss becomes more passionate, more needy. His gentle touch as he brings his arms around my neck causes me to tingle and melt inside, and already I'm developing a thirst for it that will not be easily quenched. I don't want this to end. Sasuke is mine now and I won't let anyone or anything hurt him ever again.

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**The next day…**

The sleet pelting aggressively against the window wakes me from my previous deep sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I glance at the clock on the far wall. It's early, so much for trying to get a decent night's sleep before the long drive home today, that was wishful thinking indeed.

My gaze is quickly directed towards Sasuke, who is still fast asleep and curled up next to me, his arm spread neatly across my stomach. For the first time since I've met him, he looks peaceful. His eyes are closed softly, his expression serene as his chest rises and falls with each breath. Usually you can see the fear and worry in his face even as he sleeps. That is if he could get to sleep. When he lived with Gin, he rarely slept for more than three or four hours a night because he was always too tense and unable to relax. He was so just so afraid of that man and what he might do to him that it affected every part of his life.

Carefully I brush away any stray strands of his raven-black hair to reveal more of his pretty face hidden underneath. I can't help but smile to myself. Firstly because this beautiful creature is mine now, but mostly because I saved him, I stood up to Gin and won. However, my pride disperses rapidly when I suddenly remember my mother. I still have to break the news to her and hope she takes it well. I don't think I'll tell her about my feelings for Sasuke just yet; this is something she doesn't need to know about. It's best to take these things one at a time. If I throw it all on her at once I don't think she could handle it, she doesn't even know I'm gay! Still, I pray she doesn't disown me. I can't be sure of anything until I explain to her our current situation. That all too familiar sick feeling promptly returns to my stomach. I decide to busy myself so that I don't think too much about it.

Gently removing Sasuke's arm from across my stomach without waking him, I slide out of the bed and make my way towards the shower. Luckily I was able to get some of my clothes stuffed into a bag before we left. What is left of Sasuke's clothes are badly torn and filthy, so I'll just lend him some of mine for the time being. I can get him some clothes of his own at a later date.

……………………………………………………………………………….

I pull a t-shirt over my head and leave the bathroom whilst periodically patting my hair dry with a towel. It felt good to shower; it almost felt like I was cleansing myself of Gin, washing away any traces of him that might still remain. I hope he stays away from us in future. I know my threat might have frightened him a bit at the time, but I don't think it's enough to keep him away for good and that really scares me. I wish I could take Sasuke and my mother and move away to some far corner of the country, somewhere that Gin will never find us, but my financial situation at the moment means that's impossible. I'm stuck where I am and Gin knows exactly where that is. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. That man is so impulsive and unpredictable; and I know what he's capable of doing.

I catch sight of Sasuke sitting cross-legged on the bed, gazing out of the window and quickly I'm snapped out of my thoughts of Gin. He doesn't look very happy… maybe he regrets kissing me last night. My heart suddenly drops and fills with fear. I knew it! I ruined everything! I never should have blurted my feelings out like that and I never should have kissed him! He's having second thoughts! He must be!

"Sasuke?" I manage to force out of my mouth as I approach him. My heart starts to beat faster. "What's wrong? A…Are you alright?"

"Are you mad at me?" he exclaims and turns around to face me, his eyes open wide. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I got too far ahead of myself last night and I shouldn't have put you in that situation and…"

"You're alright," I smile, a sigh of inward relief neutralising my racing heart beat. He's just worried that I might have regretted it but if he doesn't, then I don't either. I'm glad it happened. "I'm not mad at you, if anything I'm happy."

He smiles in response and allows me to tilt his face upwards so I can press my lips briefly against his once again.

"Alright," I beam, breaking away. "You better go have a shower and pretty yourself up. Later on tonight you meet my mother."

…………………………………………………………………………

It was late evening before we made it back to my house. Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I park the car outside the block of flats I live in. I'm almost afraid to bring Sasuke inside. It's small, cramped and after he's become used to living in such a big house with a king size bed all to himself, I'm embarrassed to show him my tiny, run-down apartment. I know he's not going to care what his new home looks like, but I can't help but feel a little inferior right now.

"Well, this is it," I force a smile. "It's not much in comparison to what Gin has, but it's all I've got."

He opens the door of the car and steps outside. A grin spreads across his face as he looks back at me.

"It's better than my parents ever had! I'm going to be really happy here… thank you Kakashi."

I could eat him right now, he's too adorable. We walk past the graffiti on the wall that once upon a time used to be a pretty mural of a garden, but has now been defaced and destroyed by the bored youths in this area of town who have nothing better to do. There isn't anything to do around here anyway. It's all grey concrete with the occasional tree struggling to grow in designated areas beside the footpath. There used to be a park nearby with swings and a slide, but they have long been broken beyond repair, only serving as a drinking ground for the scum of society. That thought reminds me to warn Sasuke about the places that are safe to go and others that are not. This could end up being just as much as a prison for him as Gin's place. He slides his hand into mine, but it's not enough to lift my heart as we walk through the entrance and go upstairs towards my flat. I hope it doesn't disappoint him too much.

Flinging open the door, I'm relieved that my flat hasn't been broken into while I was away, the television is still there and everything is as I left it. That's definitely a good start. You see, I don't trust my neighbours at all! Sasuke follows me inside and I tell him to make himself comfortable on the sofa, which he is happy to do. I wish I'd tidied the flat a bit better before I left, but I wasn't exactly expecting to bring anybody back with me. There are dirty clothes scattered everywhere and I'm sure there's a stash of dirty underwear lying across my bed. I better sneak in and hide that before Sasuke sees it! I quickly shove the bag into my closet and head back towards the living room where I can see Sasuke concentrating on a photograph I have hanging on my wall. He jumps around as I approach, and all of a sudden he looks a couple of shades paler than he had been when I left him only moments ago.

"What's wrong? Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!" I ask him with a worried tone to my voice.

"I…I'm fine. Who is that in the picture with you?"

"That's my father, Hatake Sakumo. He died a few years ago. That is me and him together back when I was your age and strangely enough that picture was taken on Gin's boat, back before I knew of his true nature of course. He used to take me and my dad out fishing a lot, ever since I was little. I think Gin actually took that picture…"

Sasuke stands staring at the picture in silence, his eyes wide.

"Seriously, are you alright?" I ask him again and he spins around to face me once more. A seemingly forced smile spreads across his lips.

"I'm ok, sorry… I… I was just thinking about Gin…"

"Ok… well try not to worry about him anymore. He's history, and he won't be going anywhere near you again."

……………………………………………………………………………….

After I made dinner for us both, it was time to face my biggest fear. I could wait until tomorrow before I go down and visit my mother, but I called her from the hotel earlier and she is expecting me to come around tonight, plus I want to get this all over with. The sooner she knows about Sasuke, the less I have to think about what her reaction will be.

I can't stop thinking about Sasuke's strange reaction to the photograph of me and my father though. I can't imagine why he reacted like that, but it probably has a lot to do with Gin. The poor boy must still be in shock and it will be a long time before he properly recovers from the abuse. I suppose I'll have to expect him to have flashbacks for a long time. That has to be what happened earlier, the picture must have sparked some sort of Gin related memory the boy wanted to forget.

It only takes a few minutes in the car to arrive at my mother's door because we don't live that far apart. As I step outside, memories of my childhood flood back. This is where I grew up as a child. It was never a good neighbourhood and most of my childhood friends I used to play with on this street have ended up in jail, rehab or worse. A lucky few managed to move away and better themselves, I'm one of the lucky ones. Nobody around here ever really amounts to much. I never got involved with street gangs like some people I knew and I was never a delinquent of any sort, but I can see why some people would turn to those things around here, the hopelessness is vicious spiral that ends up destroying lives beyond repair.

"Is this where your mother lives?" Sasuke asks nervously, disrupting my memories.

"Yes, she lives here and remember, her name is Misaki. Are you ready to go inside?"

He doesn't reply, but I know he's nervous. This must be so hard for him because he knows he's the reason why my mother is probably going to be so disappointed. I just pray she accepts him.

It's not long before we slip inside and I leave Sasuke standing temporarily outside in the hall. I think my mum is in the kitchen, I can smell something cooking. It's just like when I was younger and my father was still alive. We would return from spending some time with Gin on his yacht, and as we entered the house we were usually always greeted by the smell of food cooking. My mother tended to get seasick, so she never came out on the boat with us, besides it was a 'guy bonding thing' as my father used to say.

I walk past the old, faded wallpaper that still decorates the living room. It's the same wallpaper I remember as a child, pale pink and grey. I know my mother was hoping to get some money from Gin soon to redecorate, but I strongly doubt he'll give anything to her now. That's going to be another disappointment she will have to deal with. Suddenly I catch sight of her in the kitchen removing something from the oven. As she turns around she catches sight of me and instantly her eyes lift and a huge smile spreads across her face.

"Kakashi! You're back!" She wraps her arms around me. "It's great so see you and all, but I thought you would be staying with Gin for a while longer. Speaking of him, how is he? It's been ages since I've seen him. I hope you were on your best behaviour young man! You know we can't risk upsetting him!" she beams as she ushers me back towards a seat in the living room.

"Mother… I…"

"I'll make you some tea love. Have you had any dinner?"

"Yes, I've had dinner earlier, but I…"

"Not to worry, I made extra just in case, but I'll wrap it up and you can take it with you and heat it up in the microwave for tomorrow." She smiles again before she darts back into the kitchen and begins to rummage about in a drawer for some tin foil.

I sigh awkwardly as I try to think about what would be the best way to break this to her. Sasuke is still standing nervously out in the hall waiting for me to call him in, I can't leave him out there for much longer, he's just as nervous as I am and I'm prolonging his agony and mine too.

"Mum…" I state, trying hard not to let too much emotion creep into my voice. "There's something important I need to tell you."

"And what would that be love?" She peers around the kitchen door and tucks a strand of her blonde hair behind her ears. Her eyes look so full of… hope.

"We are not going to be millionaires," I gulp, wanting to get the matter straight out in the open without sugar coating it.

"What? Don't be silly Kakashi, you're Gin's heir. He loves you very much, like a son. Why would we not be millionaires? Anyway, there is a lovely house on the other side of town, you know, in the lake district, and its right next to a forest park! I was thinking that we could…"

"MUM! Listen to me, please!" I cry, my heart starting to race. Why is she making this harder for me? "We're not going to be millionaires, Gin is a fucking sadistic monster and nothing like you think he is. He's been physically and sexually abusing this boy, Sasuke, for years and threatening to hurt his family, horrible stuff like that. I couldn't turn a blind eye to the kid's suffering mum, I just couldn't!" I take a deep breath and pray she still loves me after I reveal the truth to her. "I chose Sasuke instead of the money…"

"You're joking me, right?" Instantly the colour starts to drain from her face and the once joyous glint vanishes from her eyes.

"I'm not joking. Give him a chance mother, he's a sweet boy and I think you'll really like him."

"YOU GAVE AWAY OUR FORTUNE FOR SOME WORHLESS KID!" She cries, tears starting to swell in her eyes.

"It was to save his life mum! Gin would have killed him!"

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY STUFF LIKE THAT ABOUT GIN! He supported us! He's done so much for us, and he would never kill anyone! How could you be so fucking ungrateful Kakashi? After everything he's done for us? If there was something going on between him and that boy, then you OWE it to him to stay quiet! Where is this fucking boy?"

"CAN'T YOU SEE HE'S BRAINWASHED YOU INTO THINKING ABOUT HIM THAT WAY! I SAW WHAT HE CAN DO FIRST HAND!" I scream, furious that my mother is taking Gin's side. I can't believe this! "I saw him beat that boy, rape him and drive him to attempt suicide! You don't know Gin, you only see the carefully constructed image he's created for himself!"

"I DON'T CARE! WE NEEDED THAT MONEY!" She bursts into tears, but right now all I can think about is Sasuke waiting in the hall. He can hear every damn word of this. Why did I bring him? I should have left him at home, he doesn't need to hear this!

"GIN IS A MURDERER!" I scream, hoping to interrupt her fit of tears and get her to listen to me.

"Lies! You fucking liar!" She narrows her eyes at me. "How dare you say those things about our saviour? I suppose that worthless kid made up some stories to turn you against Gin!"

"He killed someone right in front of Sasuke! I saw the look in his eyes, there is no way that boy was lying…"

"WHERE IS THAT FUCKING BOY!"

"Mum, calm down!" I keep my tone low in the hope that it will subside her rage. I'm shocked. I never expected her to react in this way, Gin must have completely brainwashed her. It makes me hate him even more. Maybe after a few days she will calm down enough to properly introduce her to Sasuke, right now I need to get him away from this situation. He will be so upset. I'll deal with my mother later.

"WHERE IS HE? IS HE HERE?" she slams shut the kitchen door and barges past me towards the hall.

Before I have a chance to grab her and hold her back, she's stormed out into the hall. I quickly pursue her and jump in front to create a barrier between her and Sasuke, who is absolutely terrified at the minute. I know she won't hurt him, but he doesn't know that. Their eyes lock and the anger I see in my mother actually frightens me. This isn't my mum!

"YOU!" She points at Sasuke and he immediately recedes away from her until his back hits the front door. "YOU LITTLE LIAR! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE! GET OUUUUUUUT!"

"MUM! STOP IT!" I cry and push her backwards. I've never seen her act like this before, I don't know what the hell is going on! Why is she choosing to take Gin's side over that of her own son? I don't understand. I hear a door slam behind me; Sasuke has run away. I need to go after him. I give my mum an angry look before sprinting out of the door in pursuit.

Sasuke hasn't gone far, he's just ran back to my car. He's upset. I run up to him and wrap my arms him and pull him close as he sobs into my chest. I don't understand what's happening. Why is everyone I used to care so much about suddenly turning against me? And it all seems to have happened the second Sasuke came into my life.

……………………………………………………………………………….

**(Meanwhile, back in Gin's house…)**

"GINNNN!" the voice of an angry woman sounded over the phone.

"Misaki? Is that you?"

"Who the hell do you think it is? Of course it's me, you know, Kakashi's mother!"

"I know who you are, but what do you want?" the man on the other end of the phone sneered, although he knew perfectly well what she wanted. He smiled quietly to himself. He had been expecting this phone call for a while now.

"You told me that boy was dead. You told me that you finished him off long before Kakashi even came to visit you…" the woman's voice excuberated anger.

"So?"

"So… why the hell is he running around, clearly alive, with my son? That boy knows far too much! How could you have kept him alive for so fucking long?"

"He was a good fuck."

"He's dangerous! He could unwittingly destroy everything we've been working towards, Gin. How could you have been so careless and more to the point, how could you have let him leave? You should have slit this throat!"

"Your son is almost as persuasive as you, and it's not as if I expected the two of them to get so close. So, what do you want me to do about it then, Misaki."

The woman narrowed her eyes and her grip around the phone became tighter before she spoke her next words.

"You know what I want you to do. Find out exactly how much information he's leaked then kill him. Kill Sasuke."

**End of Chapter 9**

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Thank you for reading! Well, it would seem that Kakashi's mother is a bit of a bitch, and also more closely connected with Gin than you would think. Poor Sasuke, he has no idea what's about to hit him and poor, poor Kakashi! He's so oblivious to everything! lol

Please, please, please review and let me know what you think. The reason this chapter took so long to get finished is because I'm not entirely happy with it. I've been struggling on this one and I would really appreciate feedback on it! I think there are too many time skips, but I couldn't really work my way around them without making this chapter ridiculously long and boring! I hope what I did worked… did it work alright? Please tell me! I'm worried that this chapter comes across as too rushed.

Also, I was planning to put a Kakashi/Sasuke lemon in the next chapter! I think it's long overdue!! ;) (Oh, and they didn't get up to anything other than kissing in this chapter. I wasn't holding out on you!)

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	10. Chapter 10

**The Secret: Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sasuke or Kakashi… :(

**A/N**: As usual, a big thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. It really means a lot! Some people have correctly guessed part of the plot, so you guys deserve cookies for working it out! If anybody else has any theories, please feel free to PM me and ask, although I must ask you not to say anything in your reviews in case you are right and you give away my secret and entire plot line! lol

Hehe… well, please enjoy this extra, extra long chapter! There will be a hint of Kaka/Sasu intimacy for your enjoyment! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

**2 weeks later….**

At long last everything is falling into place. Sasuke has settled down and my mother is actually starting to make an effort with him. She's apologised to him for what she said and Sasuke was eager to accept her apology. Who knows, soon they might become good friends. I hope so as I want nothing more than for my mother to acknowledge him and accept that he's a part of our lives now. I still haven't told her about my feelings for him, I'm too afraid of ruining everything as their relationship is delicate enough as it is. She's slowly accepting that we're not going to be millionaires, but she's still not happy about it.

As for me, I've managed to get my old job back but at a reduced pay. I had to go crawling back to my old boss, which I really didn't want to do, but I had no say in the matter. I have Sasuke to look after and bills to pay. My old boss was keen to take advantage of my desperation and totally ripped me off, but for now there's little I can do about it. It means that I'll have to work longer hours and I'll have less time to spend with Sasuke, but he understands. I've taken on a second job too so I barely have a minute to myself, but thankfully the other job is only temporary.

I've enrolled Sasuke back into school and he'll start in a few weeks time, but I'm sure as hell not going to send him to the school in this horrible area! It's rough and has a poor reputation. Instead I'm sending him to a school several miles away in a much better area, but it's not going to come cheap. I need to pay fees and I've had to buy him a uniform. It will be alright though, with the second job I'll be able to save up plenty and once I have enough, I can return to working one job. I won't allow Sasuke to get a job to help with the bills because I want him to focus on his studies with no distractions, besides I don't want to burden him with a responsibility like that while he's so young. We'll be alright.

"So how gay do I look in this uniform?" Sasuke mutters sarcastically as he comes in through the living room door tugging at his shirt, unsure whether or not to tuck it into his grey shorts.

"You look adorable."

"You're not meant to say that," he pouts and folds his arms in protest. "You're supposed to say that I look rugged and manly."

A smile spreads across my face. Sasuke couldn't look rugged or manly however hard he tried, he's too pretty and periodically gets mistaken for a girl, as I've discovered when I take him out with me. It pisses him off and can put him in a bad mood for hours.

"Why are you laughing?" he cries.

I cover my mouth with my hand before I dig myself in any deeper; Sasuke tends to be very sensitive about the whole 'adorable' thing. He is adorable though, he can't help it. Watching him tugging and pulling at his school uniform makes me want to dive on him and take him then and there, but I have to respect his wishes. After everything he's been through he doesn't want to go the whole way just yet, that's understandable so I forcibly restrain myself.

"Kakashi, I don't know how to do up this tie properly, can you do it for me?"

To my surprise, he walks over and sits down on my knee, facing me in an almost straddling position. There's a subtle smirk on his face as he passes the tie into my hand before pulling his collar up. He knows he's turning me on.

Without hesitating, I wrap the tie around his neck and do it up for him like he asked, the entire time he leans closer and closer against me. I can't hold back any longer, his lips are almost touching mine. I wrap my arms around his waist, pull him closer and push my lips against his. Immediately he responds, accepts the kiss and kisses back, allowing our tongues to meet and entwine. Slowly, I undo the tie that moments ago I had just done up for him. The material slides off his neck and I drop it on the ground beside me. I'm not sure if Sasuke has even noticed, he's too preoccupied by the hungry kiss. Making the most of the opportunity, I begin to undo the buttons of his shirt, one by one in order to reveal the slender, pale body underneath. Sasuke doesn't seem phased at all by my undressing him; even after everything he's been through he's still prepared to go pretty far, just not all the way. I'm sure after a few more weeks of settling down, he'll be fine with it. He's not as shy or nervous as you would expect and he's comfortable with being naked around me, so that's definitely a good start!

It's not long before his shirt is off and thrown to the side. He allows me to break the kiss momentarily to caress his neck and shoulders with my mouth. A small moan escapes from his lips as he arches his back and pushes his body closer to mine. It's more than enough to turn me on and I can already feel myself starting to get hard. He moans more loudly as I lean him back and envelope one of his nipples with my mouth, using my tongue to circle the exposed flesh. I feel very privileged that he feels comfortable and trusts me enough to let me touch him like this. I can't imagine there would be many people he'd trust this much.

I feel his hands griping the bottom of my t-shirt as he pulls it over my head and throws it forcibly against the wall. However, before he has a chance to do anything else, I scoop him up in my arms and drop him down on the sofa. Kneeling in between his now open legs, he relaxes back and allows me to open the button attached to his shorts and pull the zip down. Like me he's starting to get hard and is more than happy to let me pull his boxers and shorts down to his ankles to reveal the hardening flesh concealed underneath. I quickly pull down my trousers to free my own erection as I know it's going to get harder and harder just from Sasuke's excited moans and watching the restlessness of his willing body before me.

He lets out an eager gasp as I take a long lick of his length with my tongue and caress his balls gently with my free hand. I see his nails dig into the cushion next to him as I work my tongue around his sensitive tip, kissing and licking in order to leave a wet trail of saliva that will drive him crazy as soon as the cool air dries it in. He lets out a loud moan and presses his head against the back of the sofa as I take him fully into my mouth. Sasuke isn't used to being on the receiving end in this way, but he's taken to it pretty quickly. I guess now he must understand what all the excitement is about. His head tilts back and pleasure is written all over his face as I work my way up and down his length, using my tongue to stimulate all his sensitive areas, paying particular attention to the tip. Eventually we get a rhythm going as he begins to thrust in and out of my mouth. I can see he's almost about to reach climax. His breath is coming in short, sharp gasps and his body is restless as he digs his nails more deeply into the cushions. More excited moans escape from his mouth followed by the occasional "Kakashi... more." It's almost enough to send me over the edge by itself. Sasuke is so beautiful when he's like this, head tilted back exposing his elegant neck, milky-white skin and his eyes screwed shut in pleasure.

Finally, his muscles tense and he comes inside my mouth after a trail of swears escape from his mouth. I swallow his load, savouring the taste of him. The taste of _my_ Sasuke. His breathing slowly returns to normal as he comes down from the high of before and he leans forward, pressing his lips next to my ear.

"Thank you…" he whispers before sliding forward from the sofa and landing in a kneeling position on the ground beside me. My own erection is throbbing and in desperate need of some attention. Just as I'm about reach down to stroke myself, Sasuke pushes my hand away and curls his fingers around my hardened shaft. This time it's my turn to let out an excited moan as he begins to masturbate me. Sasuke leans his head against my shoulder and wraps his free arm around my neck, his hot breath radiating against my sensitive skin sending shivers down my spine. It feels amazing.

My own breath starts to come in restive gasps as Sasuke brings me to climax. My heart races and slams against the inside of my chest. My body becomes rigid as a wave of pleasure engulfs every part of my body. I cry out the boy's name as I come into his hand. He doesn't say anything; instead I can feel his lips turning up into a smile against my neck as he leans his body against mine, allowing me to wrap my arms around him and pull him close before pressing my lips against the soft, pale skin of his shoulders. God! I'm a lucky man to have him.

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**Later on that night in Kakashi's apartment…**

Sasuke sat alone in the living room, awkwardly sprawled out across the sofa as he flicked through the various TV stations in an attempt to find something interesting to watch. It was late and Kakashi still hadn't returned home from his shift at the restaurant. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary though, Kakashi often returned home late as he was eager to work as much overtime as he could get, especially since the restaurant opened its doors as a bar at night. Still, Kakashi would usually phone and let him know what time to expect him home at, but tonight there was no call from him at all. Sasuke let out a sigh before looking over longingly at the telephone sitting on the table next to him. Being left alone made him anxious and uncomfortable, but he knew that Kakashi would soon walk in through the door, greet him with a hug and then let him sprawl his body across his own as they both lay and watched TV together.

Glancing at the clock, Sasuke noticed that it was nearly midnight. He let out another sigh, this time from disappointment because he knew it would be too late to cuddle up next to his older lover when he came in. Kakashi would be exhausted and would want to go straight to sleep. It annoyed Sasuke that Kakashi wouldn't allow him to get a job. The boy desperately wanted to help out with bills and rent, thus lessening the burden that had been dumped on the other man, but Kakashi would go on and on about how it was more important for Sasuke to go back to school and not have any distractions from his studies. He was already far enough behind as it is. He bit his lip nervously at the thought of returning to school. Kakashi had gone out of his way to make sure that the boy would be fully enrolled at a good school, although grateful Sasuke was worried about returning after he had missed out on so much already. Plus the ability to make new friends didn't exactly come easily to him and it wasn't as if he had much in common with his peers as it was. He knew he would probably end up in a class full of much younger people, or else struggle to keep up with those of his own age. It was then that the boy wished Kakashi had enough money to provide a private tutor for him to help him catch up, but he knew that it would never happen. He was doomed to be the sad loner in a class of younger people who would probably despise him.

The sound of footsteps moving briskly up the stairs outside caught his attention and immediately he perked up. Kakashi was home! He jumped up from the seat and quickly ran towards the door. The smile on his face faded when he discovered that whoever it could be was now roughly pulling at the door handle causing it to bang against the frame. Sasuke froze; his heartbeat quickening. Kakashi has a key, why would he need to bang the door so aggressively? Cautiously, the boy made his way towards the door. He could peer through the peephole and if it was Kakashi he could let him in.

"Maybe he just forgot his key or something?" Sasuke comforted himself with that thought. "It's Kakashi trying to get in because he's accidentally left his keys at work and doesn't want to have to drive the entire way back to get them."

"Stupid Kakashi!" he muttered lightly under his breath and rolled his eyes. He couldn't help but smile though; finally he could curl up next to the person he loved, even if it meant having to go straight to sleep.

It wasn't long before Sasuke's pleasant thoughts were wiped from his mind. The boy stood frozen to the spot as he looked through the peephole, unable to force himself to back away from the door and hide. It wasn't Kakashi at the other side of the door... it was Gin. Adrenaline set in, finally giving the boy the burst of energy he needed to run. The tugging on the door handle became louder and more aggressive as he ran into the main bedroom and curled up in the corner, praying that his past tormentor wouldn't get in. In his mind he believed that Gin wouldn't look for him there, the man needed to get in and out as quickly as possible before Kakashi came home, or before he was caught by the neighbours. Not that it would do any good. In this bad area most of Kakashi's neighbours are criminals themselves and that's why he doesn't trust them. The sound of a police siren would cause them to scatter like cockroaches, so it wasn't as if anyone would actually call the police. Anyway, this place was well known for fights and domestic violence, banging on a door probably wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for residents here. Even though the boy hadn't lived here long, several times he was kept awake at night by the noise of warring neighbours and the drunken louts outside. Kakashi was so used to it that he slept through it with no problem, but he was desperate to move out of this area and swore that as soon as he got enough money together, they were out of there!

Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to keep as still as possible, hoping that if Gin didn't hear any noise coming from inside then he would assume there was nobody home and leave. He prayed that Kakashi would come home soon but seconds seemed like hours. Eventually all went quiet, and Sasuke found the courage to crawl over to the door and peer outside, his heart racing faster than it had ever done before. He was all alone, Kakashi wasn't there to protect him and he couldn't face the thought of having to deal with his abuser again. He struggled to control his panicked breathing, the short, sharp gasps not enabling his body to get the oxygen he needed. The room spinned as tried to focus on the door. He could sense Gin was still there, somehow trying to get into the apartment without causing too much of a scene. The boy was petrified. Before he could make a dash to the phone to call for help, the door collapsed suddenly inwards. Gin had unscrewed the hinges.

Sasuke fled to the back of the room again. He knew he was going to be found and he dreaded to think what Gin would do with him. Was he here to kill him? Perhaps to take him away from Kakashi and drag him back to the life that nearly drove him to insanity. The boy froze as he heard footsteps walking briskly around the house, checking every room in turn. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. There was nothing around that he could defend himself with either. The footsteps began to approach the room where he was hiding. Sasuke thought about escaping through the window, but he was on the top floor, there was no escape. His heart skipped a beat as the door creaked open, the shadow of the man standing behind it becoming more and more visible in the light behind.

"Hello Sasuke, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Gin smirked as he caught sight of the terror on the boy's face as he curled up as close to the wall as he could get. A whimper escaped from his lips, but he couldn't manage to speak. He was frozen to the spot like a terrified rabbit caught in headlights. Something in his mind told him that this was going to be the end for him.

Gin approached the frightened boy slowly in a cruel attempt to prolong his agony and fear. Sasuke couldn't breathe; his world was slowly starting to spin into a disorientating haze. He questioned if this was really happening, but the loud footsteps of his tormentor approaching him and his cold hands starting to touch his body, working their way up his t-shirt and caressing the tense muscles underneath, was more than enough to let him know this was more than just a nightmare.

"You missed my touch, didn't you Sasuke?" Gin sneered sarcastically as he pressed his lips uncharacteristically gently against the boy's exposed neck. Sasuke remained frozen to the spot and prayed for Kakashi's return. Anyone's return! Anyone who could possibly help him.

"There will be time for this later," Gin whispered against the trembling boy's neck. "But now, you have to come with me. I have plans for you. Big, important plans."

Suddenly, something snapped in the back of Sasuke's mind. With all the strength he had in his body, he pushed the much bigger man off him. Gin wasn't expecting the boy to put up any resistance, the shock momentarily allowing the Sasuke time to get to his feet and make his attempt to escape. It wasn't enough. Gin quickly stood up, grabbed him roughly and spun his body back to face him.

"No, no Sasuke. Trying to get away is very naughty, and you will be punished for it later. Now, as I said before, I have to leave and you are coming with me."

"NO!" The boy defiantly spat into his abuser's face, a move he soon regretted as before he knew it, he had been dragged out of the bedroom and thrown violently against a wall, the back of his head slamming painfully against the concrete. Having his body thrown around like a lifeless rag doll by Gin was nothing new to him.

"You don't have a fucking say in the matter!" Gin hissed, his rage starting to peak. Just as quickly as he became fired up, his mood suddenly changed to that of laughter. "Well then Sasuke, where's your hero? Surely he should be here to protect you? Isn't that what he promised after all? Some knight in shining armour he turned out to be. You got ripped off! You've been betrayed again. Shame."

Walking forward briskly, he picked the boy up by the top of his t-shirt and pulled him to his shaky feet, ignoring the blood stains left on the wall and floor. The blow nearly knocked the boy out clean. It wouldn't be the first time that Gin had actually knocked him unconscious with one hit and that was something his abuser took great pride in being able to do. Once the confused boy's vision returned to normal, he felt a hard fist strike against the side of his face. The force jerked his face roughly to the side and he coughed up the all too familiar taste of blood.

"Listen Sasuke, we can do this one of two ways," he jerked the boy's face back to look at him. "You can put up a fight and I drag you out of here kicking and screaming, or you can come quietly. I seriously recommend coming quietly, because if you resist me, I will kill Kakashi. If you want to protect his life, then you don't struggle. You walk out of here and get into my car quietly and quickly. Do you understand me?"

Sasuke knew he was defeated. This was no empty threat, he was all too aware Gin would kill Kakashi if he didn't come quietly. His eyes filled with tears before he looked at the ground and nodded in response. An evil smile spread across Gin's face, he loved winning.

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

Dashing to my car as fast as I can, I need to get home to Sasuke. I feel terrible. It's the early hours of the morning and I didn't phone him to tell him I was going to come in late. He's probably worried sick, and it doesn't help that he gets anxious when he's left on his own, especially at night. I couldn't call him tonight, my mobile phone battery died and the only working phone in the bar just takes incoming calls at the minute. I hope he isn't too mad at me, I really should have charged my phone a bit before I left for work.

It's not long before I arrive home. I'm pretty sure that Sasuke will have probably fallen asleep on the sofa waiting for me to come in through the door. I'm exhausted; I can't wait until I can return to working one job again, but I need money badly. I won't be able to spend much time with him for the next few weeks because I'm working pretty much day and night, six days a week. I'm going to have to ask my mum if he can stay in her house until I back from working in the restaurant. It's not that he needs a babysitter or anything; I just hate leaving him on his own, especially when Gin knows where I live. It will be good for her to spend more time with him, that way they can get to know each other better and she can see the sweet boy that I see.

Making sure my car is locked; I head upstairs to my apartment. I can't wait to see Sasuke; he's always so pleased when I come in through the door to greet him that I almost have to peel him off me. However, the smile is quickly wiped from my face. Suddenly, my heart leaps in my chest before almost stopping altogether. Why is my door open? Sasuke is the first thing that jumps into my mind and I dart inside so quickly I don't even remember doing it. Panic sets in. My heart starts to race. Where is Sasuke?

"Sasuke!" I cry, forcing my frozen body to move. It's not long before adrenaline kicks in and I fly around the house, checking each room in turn and crying out his name. He's not here! He's not fucking here!! I try to calm myself with deep breaths but the room is spinning. I fight back tears as I struggle to work out what to do next, my head is spinning too, I have no coherent thought. This doesn't feel real, everything is moving so fast that it's almost gone into slow motion. Any colour that might be left in my face quickly drains when I discover blood on the wall and carpet in front of me. A million different scenarios pass through my head in a split second, what if Sasuke is lying dead somewhere?

I don't even remember dialing the number, or even picking up the phone, but all of a sudden I hear my mother's voice at the end of the line.

"Kakashi, love, is that you?"

"Mum…" I gasp, the words struggling to escape from my throat.

"What's wrong, are you alright?"

"No…"

"Tell me what's wrong, Kakashi," her calm voice isn't enough to help me keep it together. Slowly, I force the words that don't seem real to me out of my mouth.

"Sasuke's gone, he's not here! Is he with you?" I pray she answers with a 'yes'.

"No, he's not here. Where did he go?"

My whole world crashed at that moment. It suddenly occurs to me that Sasuke is with Gin. Gin has taken him!

"GIN!" I cry before my mother can get another word in. "Gin has taken him! I know he has! Sasuke would never just… disappear!"

"Kakashi, stop being silly. Why would Gin take him? Maybe Sasuke just didn't want to live with you anymore and left. Perhaps he was unhappy with you."

Fear is quickly replaced by anger. What the fuck is my mother saying? She's talking crap, how dare she say such things!

"DON'T SPEAK SHIT!" I cry, my outburst startling her. "GIN HAS TAKEN SASUKE!"

"Don't jump to conclusions! You don't know that so calm down, maybe the boy will return on his own accord."

"I need to call the police!" I gasp, my heart pounding so fast it actually hurts.

"There's no point Kakashi! The police will just file him as a missing person. Hell, they won't even start to look for him until he's been missing for at least 48 hours."

"I'M CALLING THE POLICE!" I scream before slamming the phone down. I think I heard my mother saying 'wait' but I don't care. I know Gin has taken Sasuke. The bastard lured us into a false sense of security. If he hurts him… if he fucking hurts him I swear I will tear his head off. I'll kill him and I'll take great pleasure in it too.

But before I can pick up the receiver again, I feel something solid whack against the back of my head. I instantly feel dizzy and suddenly my vision fades to black. The last thing I remember is falling forward rapidly towards the ground.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

My head throbs as I regain consciousness and I can taste the bitter, metallic taste of blood in my mouth. As I struggle to salvage my blurred vision, I can see someone standing in front of me. Who it is, I just don't know. I can't focus on their face. Gin? Is it Gin? Maybe it's Gin. I want to ask, but the words are stuck firmly in my throat. I try to move my hands, but I can't. I soon realise that they're tied behind my back, and tightly for that matter. Once again I go into panic mode; I can't even tell if I'm still in my own house but I think I'm sitting down. My heart starts to race again, this time even faster than before when I remember that Sasuke has been kidnapped by Gin and I'm trapped here, unable to help him. I struggle against my restraints, but it's futile, I'm not going anywhere. Whoever has tied me up has done a damn good job of it. However, thankfully my vision slowly begins to return to normal, but not before I feel a cold, sharp blade being pressed against my neck. Instantly I freeze and stop struggling, my breath coming in uncontrollable gasps. Am I going to die?

The once blurred face moves closer and closer to my own until we are staring at each other directly in the eyes. Sasuke? No, it's not Sasuke, it's like a grown up version of him. I'm sure I've looked into these eyes before, so deep like pools of black ebony. It is Sasuke… but it isn't.

"Where the fuck is my little brother? What did you do with him?" The mysterious figure hisses and stares at me before pressing the knife deeper against my neck.

**End of Chapter 10 **

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Thank you so much for reading! Sorry this chapter is so long, but once I find myself 'in the zone' I find it hard to stop writing lol! Anyway, I introduced a new character! Yay! No prizes for guessing who it is though, but let's just say that Kakashi can't take on Gin all by himself. He needs some help! ;)

Please review and let me know if you like where the story is going. To quote Dragon77, 'the shit has hit the fan'. Yes, yes it has! :D This chapter was originally going to have a full blown lemon, but some reviewers very rightly suggested that it would seem a bit rushed because after everything Sasuke has been through, he just wouldn't be ready. As a compromise, I decided to not have them go the entire way this time, so it's just a teaser for better things to come. However, there will be a proper lemon at some point, that's a promise!

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	11. Chapter 11

**The Secret**: Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sasuke, Kakashi or Itachi… :(

**Author's note**: As usual, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. Also, thank you to everyone who has favourited/story-alerted this fic too! I never remember to thank you, so I will do it now! :D Deciding to write in Itachi was a last minute decision and I'm glad I did because everyone seems happy about his arrival! He is OOC in this, just like everyone else, lol.

Just so you know… I'm gonna reveal the secret in this chapter… exciting, huh? ;)

Enjoy!!

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

Did I hear him right? Did he just say _little brother?_

Instantly I forget about the cold, hard steel that's being held against my neck and throbbing pain at the back of my head and stare back at him with a confused expression on my face. Wait! Something in my head clicks. I know who this person is; Sasuke has told me about him before.

"You're Itachi…" I manage to whisper, not breaking eye contact with him, my mind working hard to piece everything together logically.

"Yes, well done. Now where the fuck is my brother? I swear I will kill you if you don't tell me what you did with him!"

"I haven't done anything with him… Gin…"

"DON'T LIE TO ME YOU PERVERT!" the irate man hisses and presses the knife even closer to my neck, another millimeter and I swear he's going to slice skin! My heart starts to pound again from the uncertainty of the situation. If I'm not careful, he could kill me!

"I got information from some friends who know one of Gin's friends. They said that Gin doesn't have Sasuke anymore. They said he sold him to you, and I demand to know what you did with him!" he hisses at me again, his eyes squinting in anger. "I want my little brother back. He's not yours to buy and sell like a piece of property you disgusting piece of filth!"

"Listen!" I plead with him. "Sasuke isn't here! He's with Gin! I don't know what those people told you, but they're wrong! The story has got mixed up and distorted, probably by Gin himself but I'm a good guy here! I gave up millions to rescue your little brother from that man, but it turns out that wasn't enough because Gin has come back and taken him! Please believe me! I'd never hurt Sasuke!" I gasp, praying Itachi will believe me. He thinks he's trying to help Sasuke by doing this, but he's making things worse! I don't know how long I've been unconscious for; Gin could have already dragged the boy into a dark, remote forest somewhere long ago and murdered him. What if I'm too late to save him? Standing here pleading with this idiot is wasting valuable time.

Slowly Itachi releases the pressure of the knife against my neck, but it's not enough to stop my heart from racing or to prevent thoughts creeping into my mind of Sasuke lying almost dead in the mud, all alone in the middle of nowhere with his throat slit and gasping out my name with his last breath. I can't betray him again! I have to save him!

"How do I know I can trust you?" he looks into my eyes again. "You're friends with the man who terrorised my family for years and took my little brother away."

"I'm not friends with him!" I snap. "Well not anymore. Not since I discovered the real side of him that he keeps hidden from most people. And you have to trust me! I know where Sasuke has been taken and I want to get him back just as much as you do, but by standing here arguing we're wasting valuable time that Sasuke can't afford to spare at the minute."

He looks at me suspiciously, but slowly walks behind me and begins to untie my hands.

"As soon as you untie me, we need to call the police…" I cry, desperate to get out of here as soon as possible. To my surprise, Itachi pulls the cord securing my wrists tight again.

"We're not calling the police," he states coldly.

"Are you a complete idiot?" I yell in response, confused by his desire not to get the authorities involved. If he wants to rescue his little brother that much then why is he stalling things? "We need…"

"No!" he cuts off my sentence again. "I want to take things into my own hands. If you call the police, I can't do that. Gin has destroyed my family and done stuff to us you could never imagine and I want revenge in the bloodiest way possible. You can call the police _after_ I've finished my business and have got the hell away from the crime scene."

"You're going too…"

"Yes. Are you going to help me or not? Because I can find Gin on my own and leave you tied up there."

"I'm coming with you," I hiss under my breath. "I care about Sasuke more than you will know and I'm going to fucking wait around here when I swore I'd protect him."

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**(Meanwhile, at Gin's house…)**

"Still no sign of your hero then Sasuke?" Gin laughed, enjoying mocking and patronising the terrified boy in his company. Sasuke curled up against the door of the car as tightly as he could. Any extra centimeter of distance he could put between himself and his tormentor was precious. Gin was drunk; he could smell the alcohol on the older man's breath. How he'd managed to drive back at such a fast speed without crashing and killing them both was beyond Sasuke. There had been a few narrow misses as Gin sped around corners and over took anyone in his path that were not going fast enough. Horns sounded and wheels skidded as Gin wove recklessly between cars, but some how they'd managed to make it back in one piece, although Sasuke knew that he probably wouldn't remain in that condition for much longer.

His thoughts filtered back to Kakashi. Why wasn't he there to prevent Gin from kidnapping him? Sasuke couldn't help but feel betrayed, again! Kakashi promised that he would never have to deal with Gin ever again, but here he was, back in the clutches of the person he both feared and despised more than anyone else he knew, even more than his parents and brother. Kakashi was just another person to be added to the list of deserters in his life who use him when it's convenient, then abandon him to his fate when the going gets a bit tougher. He cursed himself for placing so much trust in Kakashi, but at the same time disappointed to have to add him to that list. Sasuke thought for the first time in his life he'd finally found someone who loved him; the apparent betrayal crushing him. What did he have to live for now?

"It's just like I said, isn't it?" Gin smirked, that look of absolute delight when he knew he was about to hurt somebody, spreading across his features. That smug look Sasuke hated. He wished he had the strength to punch the older man in the face and knock him out, but he knew he didn't have the physical strength to even knock him backwards. The man was built like a tank and liked to use his size and bulk to intimidate people.

"Kakashi used you. He told me that he was bored with you, so I could come and pick you up. You know, get you out of his sight. That's why he wasn't in the house to protect you when I came. He knew I was coming and left me to it," Gin lied, enjoying watching the boy's heart shatter into a million pieces, the emotion reading all too well on his face. "He's not coming back for you, so you might as well abandon any hope you might have. You're worthless; nobody wants a burden like you and nobody ever will. The only thing you're good for is a cheap fuck when people have nothing better to do with their time and cleaning up after me, and that's what you'll do for the rest of your life. Well, as long as you remain pretty that is."

Gin's smirk widened, his eyes filling with sadistic glee as he saw the tears first swell, then trickle down the boy's face. Sasuke was so much fun to mess with and amplifying his already bleak view of the world was just another game to this cruel man. A game he immensely enjoyed. He had broken Sasuke a long time ago, and intensifying the cracks under the surface of his small, dispirited frame was just another source of pleasure to him, much similar to buying a new pair of shoes, or driving his favourite sports car at great speed along the disused roads nearby.

"Get out of the car and go inside," Gin demanded, but Sasuke curled up tighter and buried his head against the window. The last thing he wanted was to follow his abuser back into the prison where he first met who he thought was his saviour, but who turned out just like the rest of them. He found that harder to face than the beatings he knew he set to receive.

"I SAID GET OUT OF THE CAR AND GO INSIDE!" Gin yelled, grabbing the boy roughly by his arm and dragging him out of the driver's seat side of the car. He yelped and instinctively curled up as he felt his body being dragged outside and then tossed to the ground below. He hit the earth with a thud, but the painful sound of his body colliding with hard cement didn't deter Gin from pulling him to his feet and pushing him forward, almost knocking him off balance again.

He managed to maintain his balance and gulped when he saw Gin's house in front of him. In the dark it looked even larger and more intimidating, the darkness making the white walls seem dull and grey as it blended into the skyline. Most people would probably see a huge, luxury mansion in front of them that they would desire greatly, but to Sasuke it's a prison; the place where his nightmares play out for real. Shaking and unsure, he began to place one unsteady foot in front of the other and walked nervously towards the imposing building, Gin pressing him to move faster with the occasional shove. His heart raced and the all too familiar metallic taste of blood loomed in his mouth. He knew he was defeated. Kakashi had abandoned him and now he would just have to do whatever his abuser told him too in order to avoid beatings. Nobody was here to protect him and nobody was coming to rescue him. Well, in his mind that's what he truly believed.

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

The silence is awkward and the atmosphere chilly as I drive my car as fast as the road ahead will allow me. Itachi hasn't muttered a word, nor has he even looked at me but there is a stare of determination in his dark eyes. He's obviously been waiting for this moment for years, his chance to extract revenge upon the person who destroyed his world, turned it upside down and scattered the contents. There are a few things I need to know, a few small things that have been eating away at my mind since I first discovered the truth about Sasuke. Now probably isn't the best time, but I can't hold back any longer. I need answers and I need them now or else I might never ease my aching mind.

"How could you and your family do that to Sasuke…?" I hiss under my breath, breaking the awkward silence as I maintain my concentration on the bendy road. Thankfully it's becoming much lighter than it was previously as dawn approaches. I can drive faster because the road ahead isn't pitch black anymore.

"We had no choice," Itachi snaps in an irate tone, annoyed that I brought up that particular subject. This is obviously a raw nerve for him. I don't care; I'll scratch it even deeper. How the fuck can he live with himself?

"You did have a choice. Take Sasuke and leave."

"If only it had been that easy. Do you really think I'd have left him if it was that fucking easy? Our lives were in danger!"

"And his wasn't?" I cry, my blood starting to reach boiling point as I try hard not to lose my cool and go for Itachi's exposed neck. "He tried to kill himself you know. Gin abused him to the point where he didn't want to live anymore. The only reason he didn't do it sooner is because he was trying to protect you. How long was he trapped there for? 3 years? 4 years? Why haven't you done anything about it until now? Why did you wait fucking years before you came after him?"

Silence.

"Are you going to answer me or not?" I yell, annoyed he's trying to avoid my questions. "Sasuke didn't deserve anything that was done to him. Those 3 years were hell for him. He was beaten, raped, mentally tortured…"

"OK! ENOUGH!" Itachi screams as he covers his ears with his hands. "I knew what Gin was going to do with him because Gin did it to me as well when I was Sasuke's age!! I was afraid of him! I couldn't help Sasuke because I was too terrified to do anything about it. I didn't want to go anywhere near _that_ man. It takes a long time to get over these things and work up the courage to do the things you need to do, but I'm doing something _now_ aren't I? I'm trying to make things right again. I know Sasuke will probably never forgive me because I'm his big brother, I was supposed to protect him but I couldn't! When Gin came to collect him, I ran! I left him there and I have to live with that for the rest of my life, so stop making things worse! I didn't know Sasuke tried to kill himself, and I didn't know he was putting up with what that monster did to him to try and protect me," he sighs in a much quieter tone than before. "But I'm going to rescue him and I'm going to kill Gin, even if Sasuke wants nothing to do with me afterwards. I've already accepted it."

"What about your parents then, why didn't they do anything?"

"They just wanted Gin off our backs and were prepared to give him anything to get away," Itachi sighs as he folds his arms across his chest. He's finally aware he can't escape my questions. He's trapped in the car with me.

"Our dad stupidly borrowed some money from him and he made our lives hell because we couldn't pay it back fast enough," he continues, his tone still irate due to my prying further into the subject. "Dad was on the run from the law himself and we couldn't get the police involved because he owed money everywhere and was trying to hide from the dept collectors. He thought borrowing money from Gin to pay off his dept would work, but he was sadly mistaken. The police still pursued him and meanwhile Gin's friends terrorised us. We were so desperate and afraid that we were prepared to give him Sasuke to cancel the dept. They knew what Gin wanted him for, but they still did it and I was too weak to do anything about it."

I let out a sigh. I kind of want to feel sorry for Itachi and his family, but I just can't. I don't care how desperate they might have been, Sasuke was their child, an innocent pawn who was probably too young to even understand completely what was happening. I know he felt abandoned and let down by them, he's told me before in the past. I just can't forgive them for the pain they put him through, even Itachi.

……………………………………………………………………………….

**(Itachi's point of view)**

What I can't tell Kakashi is that it's my fault… it's my entire fucking fault. I was the one who brought Gin into our lives, but I had no idea at the time what I was getting myself or my family into. Although still just a child at the time, I was attracted by Gin's money, and the 'bribes' I suppose I could call them that he showered upon me. Back then I considered them as gifts. I was such a stupid kid who thought I knew it all and it tore my family apart in the end. What started off as a friendship with Gin when I was 12 quickly turned into something more. My parents never knew about the stuff Gin was getting me to do and I introduced him to them as a tutor who was helping me with math, rather than the guy who was paying me for blow jobs. In time he started to get closer and closer to my family and I noticed he was starting to take a disturbing shine to Sasuke, despite him being only 8 at the time. I didn't like how he touched him when my parents weren't around and when I confronted him about it, he turned violent. He started to beat me, rape me and everything escalated from there. I never told my parents because he said he'd hurt Sasuke if I did. Sasuke would never tell because Gin said he'd hurt me. I put up with it for a long time because I dug myself in so deep I couldn't find a way out.

When Gin saw the chance to make Sasuke his own, he tricked my family into borrowing money from him and the rest tells itself. It's my fault Sasuke is in the situation he is and I need to fix the mess I've made. I couldn't fix it for my parents, but at least I can fix it for Sasuke. Gin dies tonight. I think Kakashi has probably worked out my plans already and must be alright with it or else he would've called the police long ago. Good. I can't wait to see the look on Gin's smug face when the bullet goes through his head.

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**(Back at Gin's house…)**

"How much did you tell him?" Gin shouted at the terrified figure, who backed away as far as he could until a wall prevented him from getting any further. Gin approached him aggressively, but slowly, smiling to himself as the boy tried to shrink away further by sliding to the ground as if he could escape by sinking through the floor.

"I… I don't understand…" Sasuke whispered; his voice shaky and nervous. Even if he wanted to think clearly, he couldn't. Everything seemed too surreal and he almost didn't believe it was happening. Surely he would wake up soon to discover that this is a nightmare. Surely Kakashi would be waiting to hold him close and soothe him into a peaceful sleep.

"I think you DO understand," Gin towered over him and pulled the boy to his feet. "I know you revealed our little secret to Kakashi, and I need to know just how much you've spilled. I advise you to tell me every little detail or else I will beat it out of you. I will find out and I don't care what methods I have to use."

Before Sasuke could answer, or even fully comprehend what was being asked of him, Gin struck, his hard fists striking the boy's already bruised and bloodied face before dropping him to the ground again. Nope. This was definitely not a dream.

"I… I told him a…about my family a…and why I'm here," Sasuke stuttered, the fear prevailed inside him in anticipation of the pounding he knew he was set to receive. It affected every part of him, even his speech.

"I KNOW ABOUT THAT YOU LITTLE IDIOT!" Gin screamed, the sudden and unexpected change in tone causing the boy to jump. "I mean what else did you tell him?"

"N… Nothing!" Sasuke gasped. "I didn't tell him anything else…"

"LIAR!" his abuser screamed, not hesitating to kick the boy as hard as he could in the stomach, causing him to cry out and topple over on to his side. He curled up in a desperate attempt to ease the searing pain that was ripping through him.

"Listen Sasuke, do what you're told or else things are going to get very complicated around here, and as a result you're going to get very beaten up. Now, I'll ask again. What else did you tell Kakashi?"

"Nothing…" Sasuke gasped again, screwing shut his eyes as he readied himself for another kick. He was confused. All he had told Kakashi was a bit about his past and why he was with Gin, nothing else. What was he going on about? What else there to tell? Suddenly it hit Sasuke like a jolt of lightening. Gin killed somebody. He told this to Kakashi. As repressed memories of the murder came flooding back into head, Sasuke focused on the identity of the victim as he tried to work out if his theory was true or not. Where the memories triggered by the picture in Kakashi's living room accurate? Yes, it was true, he knew it was. It was him; it was the man Gin killed that night right in front of him. Words slipped out of the boy's mouth before he could stop them.

"You killed Kakashi's father, didn't you?" Sasuke pulled his injured body upwards and supported his weight with his arms as he looked up at his tormentor. He lay still, sprawled across the floor, blood dripping from his mouth forming a small stain on the ground below him.

"Ha!" Gin snorted sarcastically. "So you worked it out. Clever little thing aren't you."

Another kick soon followed, knocking Sasuke back down again. Due to the shock, he barely felt it this time around; his mind was numb from the revelation. What bothered him more was how indifferent Gin appeared to be acting.

"It was Kakashi's father…" he thought to himself in disbelief, his muddled thoughts finally streaming together to form a coherent picture in his head. He had desperately wished he'd been wrong and the victim only resembled Kakashi's father or something. The boy had wished since the very second he saw that picture hanging in the living room, his gut instinct would turn out to be wrong. Everything happened so fast that night; he didn't want to say anything to Kakashi in case he'd made a mistake. Besides, Kakashi was stressed out enough as it was, he couldn't have told him! How would he have taken it? Sasuke didn't want to think about that, but now, at least he knew his mind hadn't been playing tricks on him that evening. He _had_ witnessed the murder of Kakashi's father. No wonder Gin was so reluctant to let him get too close to the other man! Finally the isolation made sense. Sasuke, without even realising it, knew something his tormentor didn't ever want Kakashi to find out about.

"For all those years Kakashi thought his father committed suicide…" the boy whispered under his breath, his quiet words inaudible to Gin. Something sparked inside him.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?" Sasuke cried, quickly spinning around and kicking the other man as hard as possible in the shin, not caring about the consequences. He couldn't believe that he allowed Kakashi to believe that lie; surely he loved Kakashi like a son… once. How could he do that to somebody he claimed to love? Taking away Kakashi's father was, in Sasuke's opinion, the cruelest thing he could do, far worse than everything he did to him. Kakashi loved his father more than anything. Obviously the kind of relationship Sasuke dreamed of having with his own father, but who instead frequently ignored him, pushed him away and even traded him to cancel a loan! Gin took away something special from Kakashi that could never be replaced and it infuriated the boy.

Gin let out a surprised cry of pain and instinctively bent over and picked up his leg, giving Sasuke enough time to grab a nearby vase and throw it against the other man's head, causing it to break and shatter into pieces. The broken china tore into Gin's forehead resulting in blood trickling down his face and running into his eye. He blinked from the temporary blindness and rubbed at his face, trying to clear away the hot, sticky liquid to make his vision clear again.

"FUCK!" he cried out loud when he noticed the boy had disappeared from his place on the floor. Gin was shocked; he never believed Sasuke had this sort of aggression left in him. Surely he'd broken the boy's spirit a long time ago.

Sasuke ran as fast as his injured body would allow; his heart racing and his breath coming in unsteady gulps. He had to get away and somehow find Kakashi. All notions of Kakashi's apparent betrayal dissolved instantly from his mind. If Gin was able to lie so easily to Kakashi about his father's death, then surely he had to be lying to him too. Finally the boy realised that Kakashi had not abandoned him, he was coming and he was going to rescue him. All Sasuke had to worry about was staying far enough away from Gin until help arrived, but he was gaining fast. The boy was too injured to prevent his abuser catching up on him. His muscles ached, his head spinned and his vision blurred; his initial burst of adrenaline fading fast as the heavy footsteps gained up on him.

He almost made it to the front door and quite possibly freedom, but Gin was soon upon him, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and pulling him back. It wasn't long before he was in his abuser's clutches again, his weakening body unable to fight and struggle hard enough to win the freedom he desired so much. If he could get outside, he could hide, he could wait for Kakashi to come…

"You little shit!" Gin hissed, knocking the boy of his feet and hurling him mercilessly to the ground once again, using a strong leg to partially immobilise him. "I'm going to do now what I should have done a long time ago."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw the blade Gin pulled from his pocket. He tried to get to his feet again and run, but Gin's foot quickly tumbled him over again. He tried to back away, but Gin towered over him and walked towards the terrified boy just as fast as he was trying to flee. Sasuke jumped when his back hit against another wall, his escape blocked. The fear in the boy's eyes spurred Gin on, his love of breaking the boy fueling the sadistic fire that burned deep within him. Right now the flames were roaring. Knowing he was defeated, Sasuke curled up against the wall and screwed shut his eyes. He prayed the end would come quick, painlessly and that somehow Kakashi would find out the truth about his father without him.

**End of Chapter 11 **

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Thank you so much for reading! Please excuse the OOC-ness of Itachi. I swear one of these days I will write a fic where everyone is in character, but in order to make my stories work out the way I want, I have to alter personalities a bit. Please forgive me! I also wanted to let you guys know how Gin actually came into Sasuke's life, so I used Itachi's thoughts to let you peer in a little deeper! He probably won't get anymore thoughts to himself like that, lol! :D

Please review and let me know if everything is still going ok and you're still enjoying the story. It's gonna be nothing but action from here on out! Will Itachi and Kakashi save Sasuke or will Gin get his way in the end like pretty much always? Poor Sasuke, he's in quite the predicament! He's so way in over his head, he might not be able to get out! He did try to stand up to Gin though and he finally realised that guy talks crap, so you have to give him that! :D

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	12. Chapter 12

**The Secret: Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kakashi, Sasuke or Itachi and I never will.

**A/N: **Thank you so much for every review so far. They make me so happy and encourage me to keep writing and updating this story. I appreciate every single one! :D

Ok, so it has done nothing but rain. No, really, it has done _nothing_ but rain. Some summer this is turning out to be!! You can thank the bloody awful British weather for this quicker than usual update.

Enjoy! :D

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**(At Gin's house…)**

Sasuke's heart thumped painfully against the inside of his body, his muscles tensed and his chest tightened, seemingly crushing his lungs and restricting his breath. He dared open his eyes long enough to peer into the sadistic orbs of his attacker, the clear look of sheer glee exuding from them un-nerving the boy more than he ever thought was possible. He knew what Gin was capable off, he knew he enjoyed it, but he never knew he could enjoy it _this_ much. The man was truly a monster.

He felt Gin's hands grab the material of his shirt and pull him upwards, stopping when he was only a few centimeters from his face. He saw the glint of the steel as his tormentor brought the knife closer and closer to his neck. He gasped in fright once the characteristic, cruel smile spread across the other man's lips. This was it. This was actually the end. He was going to die!

He screwed shut his eyes once again, hoping that if he couldn't see the blade, then maybe, just maybe he wouldn't feel it when it sliced deeply into this throat. Then suddenly, without warning, he felt his body fall and hit against the ground. Instinctively he brought his shaking hands up to his neck to clutch at the open, furiously bleeding wound he expected to find there. He dared open one eye to peer down at the wound, only to realise there was nothing there except his hands clutching at his flesh. Frozen to the spot, his breath continued to come in panicked gasps as he tried to work out why Gin didn't kill him.

"Maybe now isn't the right time," Gin sneered, kicking the panicked boy below him, hard. "I want Kakashi to see you die. I want him to watch you bleed to death in front of him without him being able to do a damn thing about it. My last gift to him will be those precious memories." Gin snickered, imagining the look of horror and despair on Kakashi's face. "That will teach him for crossing me."

Sasuke couldn't speak, couldn't think, couldn't properly take in anything Gin was saying to him. All he could think about was how close he had really come to dying and how, now, he actually had something to live for. Kakashi. Sasuke didn't want to die anymore, he wanted to live and spend the rest of his life with the person he'd fallen in love with.

"You're so cute when you're all curled up in fright like that Sasuke," Gin laughed, the vicious sound of his menacing voice penetrating deeply inside of the boy. "Let's go upstairs for a little while shall we? I know you've missed my touch. Let's have some fun. If you don't want too, then you can just close your eyes and pretend I'm Kakashi. There! Problem solved. How does that sound?"

A frightened whimper escaped from the boy's mouth. He still couldn't form words after the shock from earlier. He had never been so afraid before in his life. Once upon a time he would have gladly received death, from either his own hand or Gin's, oh but how things had changed. Now he was wanted, loved, and sure as hell not ready to give that up without a fight.

With his shaking hands still clutching his throat, his eyes red and swollen from crying, Gin roughly pulled him to his feet once again and forced him forward. Sasuke's legs felt like jelly underneath him and he couldn't focus on anything around him. Hell! It hadn't even sunk in yet what Gin was planning to do with him next.

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**(Kakashi's point of view) **

"Wow… so this is where Gin lives now," Itachi gasped as he looked dumbfounded at the huge building in front of him. "It's bigger than his last one."

"Yeah I'm sure it is. Now listen," I hiss in an attempt to rein his attention back in. "The most important thing is to get Sasuke out of there. We can come back and finish our business with Gin later, but right now we need to get Sasuke to safety. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I understand. So how do we get in there?" Itachi asks, tucking a stray strand of his hair behind his ear and narrowing his eyes in annoyance. It's obvious he wants to get in there immediately and blow Gin's brains out, whereas I just want to rescue Sasuke. I know he has him in there and I dread to think about what he's probably doing to him. I pray I'm not too late. If Sasuke is already dead, I will never forgive myself because that means I've betrayed him and let him down again. I couldn't live if his last dying thought is how much he hates me because I broke my biggest promise to him… again! I take a deep breath and compose myself.

"I'll go in through the front and you'll go in closer to the back. He won't be expecting both of us so that will give us the advantage. We better make use of the element of surprise because it's our best shot of getting Sasuke out of there. If the doors are locked, we'll break a window and go in together. Then we'll split up once inside, but still stay reasonably close to each other in case one of us runs into trouble, then help will always be near. Remember, we get Sasuke first, bring him somewhere safe, then we'll return to finish our business with Gin."

"Understood."

"Good," I sigh, wondering if Itachi will actually stick to the plan or not. He probably won't though. In all honesty, I don't really care much for Itachi, I just want to get Sasuke and run. I don't care if I have to leave the fucking country tonight with him because I will. One thing is for sure though; I won't leave this place without him… or at least knowing what happened to him. All I can do is pray he's still alive and knows I'm coming to rescue him. If he's still breathing, please don't let him lose hope, please.

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**(Meanwhile, back in Gin's house…)**

Sasuke's body wouldn't respond to anything he wanted it to do. He stood, frozen to the spot as he stared into the dimly lit room in front of him. He remembered this room all too well. How could he possibly forget the horrors he'd experienced here? Immediately those horrible memories came flooding back to him. This was the room he was trapped in when he witnessed the murder of Kakashi's father. He didn't want to remember, but the once hidden memories were dragged to the surface of his mind. He had no control over it anymore.

He remembered being physically trailed into this room on the very day his parents and brother betrayed him. Gin didn't waste any time. Sasuke was barely in through the door before his tormentor decided it was time to take his virginity by force. Sasuke remembered struggling, screaming, begging Gin not to do it, his efforts rewarded with a merciless punch in the face from the stronger man. He recalled being thrown down on the bed and restrained by the larger man's arm; panic setting in through every part of his body as Gin tore his clothes off with his free hand.

He remembered cursing his parents, his hate for them intensifying with every passing second. Itachi… why didn't Itachi save him? That bastard. He promised he'd protect him from Gin only days before, but he was quick to run away with his tail between his legs when the older man came around to collect his prize. It was all talk with Itachi, nothing but a false sense of security and a promise he knew he couldn't keep but lied about it anyway. Sasuke hated him for it, he still hated him. He always would hate him, and with that, it shattered Sasuke's trust in people. Sadly, he had grown to accept that the people he thought loved him always abandoned him in the end. His only glimmer of hope now was Kakashi. It had taken him a while to realise it, but he was sure Kakashi would come back for him. Kakashi wasn't a deserter; he's not like the other people in Sasuke's life.

Still staring into the huge room in front of him, he focused on the massive king size bed that belonged to Gin. Tears began to swell up in his already red and swollen eyes once again when he remembered the events of that ill-fated night three years ago. Gin almost had him completely naked when, seemingly out of nowhere, Kakashi's father burst into the room and the two men started arguing and yelling at each other. In the confusion, Sasuke buried his head under his arms, waiting for the commotion to end, but a sudden painful and shocked cry made him jump up from his position on the bed. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the blood pouring down the chest of Gin's victim. Sasuke remembered the look of fear in the dying man's eyes and the glint of metal knife protruding from his chest. It was similar to the look of absolute terror in his own eyes. He backed away from the scene, climbing further back on the bed, but couldn't escape the image of Gin mercilessly stabbing the man again, this time in the heart to finish him off. Blood stained Gin's clothes, splashed across his face, the weakening victim unable to defend himself until suddenly, he went limp. Any life that was left in his eyes soon vanished as his lids closed shut for the final time.

Sasuke sat, frozen from the shock of what he'd just witnessed, unable to look away from the dead man lying only a few meters from him, Gin hovering grandly above the corpse. Even though his back was turned to the boy, Sasuke knew he was smiling. He probably enjoyed every second of that. Sasuke remained on the bed, not making a single noise, praying in the back of his mind that Gin would forget he was there and leave. The fear lingered in the boy's heart that he would be next. After Gin finished having his way with him, perhaps he would be the next person to die.

The terrified boy trembled violently as Gin slowly turned around to look at him. His cruel eyes locked with his own. What Sasuke saw wasn't human; it was as if Gin had been possessed by some demonic entity that had taken over every part of his body and brushed aside his humanity. Sasuke's eyes remained open wide, his face drained of colour and his pupils barely visible. Everything went deadly silent as Gin indifferently wiped away some of the blood from his face and advanced towards the boy. Sasuke knew he was coming, but was unable to look away from the corpse. He had never seen a dead person before, let alone ever witnessed a murder. The shock rendered him completely and utterly helpless. He couldn't move.

He barely felt Gin pull him forward and shove him back down onto the bed. The rest of his torn clothes being ripped from his body didn't panic him any more. All he could see was the blood splattered all across Gin's clothes and face; it was as if nothing else was happening. He tensed further as Gin forced him into an uncomfortable kiss; the taste of blood that wasn't his own seeped into his mouth. Sasuke couldn't bear the taste; he gagged and pulled away, enraging the already demonic man. Sasuke barely felt the sting of the solid fist connecting with the side of his face; he just couldn't get the image of the dead man and the blood out of his mind.

He didn't struggle after that, he allowed Gin to do whatever he wanted to him. All he really properly remembered was the pain of the initial penetration, but that was about all he felt. The boy was numb inside and out, and as Gin thrust roughly and mercilessly into his submissive, albeit unwilling body, all Sasuke could focus on was the corpse of the dead man lying on the ground not so far away from him. If it wasn't for the unmistakable sight of the blood that covered the victim, it would look as if he was sleeping.

Being with Kakashi helped him to not forget, but more able to deal with the memories, but his saviour still hadn't arrived. Sasuke prayed he'd arrive soon as it hit him like a ton of bricks what Gin was planning to do with him. It was just like that first night he arrived when he was dragged to this very room and ruthlessly violated.

He screwed shut his eyes again as he remembered the exact place and position the body lay in this room after the murder occurred. He desperately wanted to block it out, but he couldn't. Gin had long since removed the body, cleaned up and replaced the blood soaked carpet with a new wooden floor, but the boy still remembered everything he'd witnessed that night. It replayed over and over in his mind and would most likely stay with him for as long as he lived, continuing to haunt his dreams and deny him sleep on a regular basis. He needed to get away from here. Instinct took over and without fully realising it, Sasuke spun around, ready to flee from that room only to slam roughly against Gin's broad chest behind him. He went stiff as the other man wrapped his arms tightly around him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked coyly, mocking the powerless boy and sliding a cold hand up the back of his shirt to caress the boy's soft skin underneath, causing Sasuke to tense up further. "Surely you're not going to try and run away again are you? Remember what I said earlier. If you don't want it, just pretend I'm Kakashi. I'm sure you've opened your legs for him plenty of times being the little slut that you are. Have you no morals whatsoever? You've not known the guy long, unlike me of course, we've known each other for years…" His typical, cruel smile formed once again as he pushed the boy backwards towards the bed.

Feeling the pressure exerted against him, Sasuke's feet began to move reluctantly towards where his abuser wanted him to go. Once close enough, Gin scooped him up in his arms and tossed the frightened boy unceremoniously on top of the sheets. Sasuke lay stiff and frozen, staring up at the ceiling as he felt his jeans being undone and trailed down to his ankles. The force jerked the boy forward, he screwed shut his eyes and clutched at the expensive bed sheets until his knuckles turned white. He knew this was going to hurt.

His eyes still shut, he heard the zip of the other man's trousers being pulled down, followed by the sound of the material soon following. He felt that unwelcome cold hand glide across his stomach as Gin climbed up on the bed next to him. He felt his hot breath against his skin as he bent down to place a few unusually soft kisses against the boy's white neck and shoulders. Sasuke clutched the sheets tighter until he could no longer feel his own hands. Gin's hands continued to explore his vulnerable body. He had missed the boy while he was away, not his company, but rather his pretty face and carefully constructed obedient nature. He smiled to himself as he remembered the difficult, belligerent boy Sasuke had been when he first got him. He'd experienced great fun in the past beating that out of him, turning him into the submissive, easily manipulated and broken little thing he is now.

"A job well done…" Gin thought to himself, enjoying every scared, but quiet yelp that escaped from the boy's mouth.

As he reached down and wrapped his fingers around his flaccid cock to get himself hard, a loud crash from downstairs caught his attention. He snarled and jumped to his feet, much to Sasuke's relief. After a few seconds He began to chuckle to himself in delight; had Kakashi finally come to rescue his precious little Sasuke? Yes, surely. Now the fun was really going to start.

**End of Chapter 12**

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Thank you for taking the time to read this! I'm sorry this chapter is a bit shorter and ended where it did, but I just intended to use it to introduce a bit more of Sasuke's past with Gin and to begin phase one of Sasuke's (possible?) rescue. Gin is such an arse! I feel really guilty for creating such a monstrous character and then letting him loose near Sasuke, lol. When this story is finished we can all form an angry mob together and burn him!

Please review and let me know what you think! The next few chapters will consist of Itachi and Kakashi attempting to rescue poor Sasuke from Gin's evil clutches. It has just occurred to me that this story will probably be finished soon. I'm actually quite sad about that, I really enjoyed writing it as I do with all my stories! :D

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	13. Chapter 13

**The Secret: Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the characters except Gin, but I don't particularly want him…

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciate everybody's comments, even the flames… but c'mon Mayhem! My grammar isn't _that_ bad! At least I make an effort, after all I cud b writin mi stori lyk dis wit no punctuation at all! :shudders: Still, I appreciate the comments and I will take them into consideration for future writing.

Please enjoy the next installment… now complete with 33 per cent more grammar! :D

Oh and it's still raining here…

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**(Inside Gin's house…)**

"Put on your clothes you little whore!" Gin hissed as he spun around and threw Sasuke's clothes roughly at his face. "We don't have time to finish our fun, but not to worry; we'll still have our excitement… just in a different way."

Sasuke remained frozen to the spot, barely noticing the clothes being thrown at him. He took deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm down and compose himself. The relief that Gin wasn't going to rape him again after all helped, but he was still shaking and still unaware of what his abuser might do to him next. Gin was unpredictable, there was no denying that and the boy couldn't shake away the terrifying thought that he might not live to ever see Kakashi again.

Despite this, he sensed his saviour was near and Gin's reaction to the crashing noise downstairs confirmed his suspicions. The boy wanted to be happy, he wanted to run into Kakashi's arms and get the hell out of here, but he knew it would not be that easy. He was all too aware that Gin would kill him before he'd let him leave, especially now that Sasuke was absolutely sure about his secret. If anything, he sort of wanted Kakashi to run, to leave him here and escape with his life. He was as good as dead if Gin caught him. From praying only moments ago that Kakashi would come and rescue him, instantly his frame of mind changed. Kakashi was risking his life for him! He couldn't allow that to happen! It was then that the boy decided to sacrifice his life to save the other man if it should become necessary. After all, Kakashi had so much more to live for than he did. Kakashi had a life, friends… family. He couldn't allow the person he loved to die for some worthless little piece of rubbish like himself who had no connections to the world. Besides, Kakashi had more than proved himself and helped the boy on his way to regaining his trust in humanity again. There are people out there who care enough to risk their life for him. Sasuke would have better appreciated the thought if he wasn't so terrified at this exact moment in time.

"I said put on your clothes!" Gin hissed again, breaking the boy's thoughts. His tormentor was careful to keep his voice down to ensure that they would not be heard, but his voice was filled with just as much venom than as if he was shouting. He just needed to find Kakashi now and Sasuke would be the perfect bait. He smiled to himself sadistically as he watched the trembling boy struggle to pull his trousers back on. Perfect! The boy could be used to draw the other man out from where he might be hiding. Gin knew that Kakashi would come running if he threatened to hurt his precious little whore.

"Come with me, NOW!" Gin narrowed his eyebrows and grabbed the boy violently by his arm, trailing him to his unsteady feet. "I'm sure you've already worked it out, but your hero is here! Isn't that exciting? I wonder if how much of a hero he'll be to you as you watch him die helplessly and pathetically, just like his father. Not to worry though. You'll be dead shortly afterwards. You won't have the memories for long."

Sasuke's eyes widened in fright and he desperately wanted to run and scream to Kakashi to get the fuck out of here, but the stronger man's vice-like grip on his arm meant he wasn't going anywhere. His heart raced as he tried to pull himself free. Gin smirked, amused by the boy's futile efforts and quickly dragged him out of the room.

"Make a noise unless I tell you too and your pervert of an older lover will die a much more slow and painful death," Gin warned Sasuke before proceeding to lead him closer to where Kakashi had made his forced entry into the house.

Now, where would Kakashi be hiding? Several thoughts entered Gin's mind. From what he knew about the younger man, he probably wouldn't attempt a straight forward ambush attack because there would be no way he'd have the physical strength to fight the bigger man off. Instead, he'd probably bide his time and hit when Gin least expected it. In other words, Kakashi would probably fight dirty, but he could fight even dirtier. Gin smiled to himself again, enjoying the rush of adrenaline that was pumping through his body. He lived for this sort of feeling.

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**(Kakashi's point of view) **

"Alright we're in," I whisper to Itachi who climbs in through the window shortly after me. As our luck would have it, Gin locked all the doors of his house. Perhaps to prevent Sasuke from escaping if he's in there, but I'm not sure. The only way in was through a downstairs window into the main living room. As hard as we tried not to make too much noise, the shattering of the glass was sure to have caught Gin's attention. He knows we're here… well, he knows _I'm_ here. We still have the advantage so long as Gin doesn't discover Itachi.

"Let's find Sasuke and then blow that bastard's brains out," Itachi states, no emotion creeping into his voice. It's like he's conditioned himself over the years to do this. He can't show any emotion about it or else it might stop him from doing what he needs to do. I hope he can push all emotions aside and do it when the time comes. For Sasuke's sake I pray he doesn't chicken out when it comes to the crunch.

"Yes, but whatever the hell you do, don't blow his brains out in front of Sasuke. The boy's been through enough as it is, I don't want him burdened with that on top of it all," I sigh, hoping that I can get Sasuke away before Itachi fires the fatal shot. The poor boy has already witnessed a murder in the past and the trauma has shaken him up no end. I don't want him to have to experience that again, even if it is Gin and even if Sasuke actually wants him dead.

"I'm not going to do that!" Itachi hisses at me; irritated that I keep undermining and patronising him. I can't help it though; I just want this damn thing to go as smoothly as possible and I'm worried that Itachi will mess things up. I'm not sure why, but I just… I just don't trust him, Sasuke's older brother or not.

My heart is in my mouth as I begin to step away from the window. The floor creaks underneath my feet, and to me it sounds almost deafening. I'm almost afraid to breath. I don't want to make any noise at all that might alert Gin as to where I'm going. The last thing I want is for him to ambush me because I don't stand a chance if he does that! He's too big, too strong and he could probably tear me limb from limb if the notion took him. I'm afraid for my life right now, as well as Sasuke's. I did the worst thing I could do, I turned against him and I'm sure Gin will want his revenge. This time last year, hell! This time a few months ago even, the thought of Gin wanting to _kill_ me would never even have entered my mind. I would never have believed it, but I have Sasuke to thank for showing to me Gin's true nature. In all honesty, I can't believe I didn't see it sooner, but I suppose he was careful to keep his real self hidden from me and he did a damn good job of it! I'll admit I was totally, one hundred per cent oblivious to everything and every day now I curse myself for it. How could I have been so stupid? Still, I often wonder why he choose to be kind and loving towards me and my family when he turned against Sasuke's family, making their lives a living hell. I don't understand and I probably never will. I probably will never find out just how any other families he has most likely victimised.

"I'll go on ahead," I whisper to Itachi after I collected my thoughts back together once again. "You stay behind, but stay close. Make sure Gin doesn't see you because you're our damn only hope, you understand that? I can draw him out and then you can take him by surprise. He'll never expect it!"

"Right, ok. Go find him then," Itachi states coldly, still annoyed that I'm kind of dictating everything to him when he'd much rather be doing this on his own. He knows he can't do it on his own though, the same way I know I can't do this without him. We just have to put our trust in each other, which is hard because we're both complete strangers. I might end up having to trust him with my life… and visa versa.

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**(Back with Gin…)**

"You want to be with Kakashi, don't you Sasuke?" Gin grinned, that wide, sarcastic smirk spreading across his face, his eyes brightening up. Sasuke pretty much saw a metaphorical light bulb turn on above his head as he asked him that question, but the boy didn't dare question any motives. Instead, he looked down at the ground and hoped that Gin would forget he was there or something. He'd tried this approach many times in the past. It never worked of course, but Sasuke prayed that now might be the first time it would. No such luck.

"Answer me you little slut!" Gin hissed much more loudly than he'd anticipated. In his annoyance he shoved the boy roughly against the wall, earning a yelp from his already injured victim. It pissed him off massively when Sasuke refused to answer his questions, but still, he hoped in the back of his mind that Kakashi had not heard him. He didn't want the other man to find him before he could discover where he was hiding. He grabbed the boy again and shook him for a response.

"Yes," Sasuke whimpered, afraid to look his tormenter in the eyes.

"Alright. Go to him then," Gin smirked as he released the terrified boy from his grip and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms tightly during the process."

"Huh?" A surprise look quickly formed on Sasuke's face.

"You heard me. You're free to go, now go and run like a frightened dog to it's master. I have no need for you anymore."

"Huh…" Sasuke tried to piece together what his abuser was saying to him. Let him go? Really? No, there had to be an ulterior motive, Gin wouldn't just let him go, especially considering that he knew his biggest secret and would have absolutely no problem telling this secret to the one person Gin never wanted to find out about it. The boy remained frozen to the spot as Gin's impatience grew and grew.

"GO! I'm fucking letting you go you little fucking idiot," the older man dug his nails into his sides in frustration. He'd expected the boy to run at the first given opportunity, but there he was standing immobile like an imbecile. Figures.

Sasuke's body soon sprang into action as soon as the imposing figure started to move towards him, fists clenched in a striking position. He backed away from him, in two minds whether or not to make a run for it. Perhaps his tormentor was testing him… checking his obedience like he used to do in the past. If Sasuke ran then it would mean a beating for daring to run even though Gin told him too. The point was to make Sasuke understand that he would never be free and it was something the cruel man had done before on him. Sasuke eyed the stairs, then looked back at Gin before focusing on the stairs once again. What if he really was letting him go? He could find Kakashi, wrap his arms around him and be lifted to safety. Thoughts of Kakashi's warm embrace spurred him on. He chewed the bottom of his lip nervously for a few seconds before making the split decision to run. He needed to get away from Gin and more than anything else, he wanted to feel Kakashi's soft, gentle touch on his skin once again. That way he would instantly feel safe and protected.

Before Sasuke even realised it, or had time to fully think his decision over, he was already at the stairs and making his way down them as fast as his injured body would allow. He ran towards where he heard the crash; the main living room of the house. It would make sense for Kakashi to try and get in there anyway if the doors were locked; the windows in that room are bigger.

His heart thumped as he checked to see that Gin wasn't chasing after him. He saw the bigger man in the distance, his arms still folded and watching the boy's every move. Sasuke continued to run. He could almost taste freedom and feel his older lover's secure arms around him once again.

He limped to the bottom of the stairs and ran for dear life, constantly checking behind him to see if Gin was in pursuit. He had moved closer to the stairs, but he certainly wasn't chasing after the panicking boy. Sasuke decided to try and wipe him from his mind and concentrate on finding Kakashi, whom he was certain should be in the house somewhere. The sound of shattering glass he'd heard previously had to be Kakashi, it just had to be. Gin even told him it was.

His route eventually led him to the room where the sound had come from just minutes before. There was shattered glass scattered across the floor near the window, just the indicator Sasuke needed to see. For a brief second or two, his racing heart slowed and a feeling of calm overtook his small frame. It didn't last long though. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs he'd just made his escape from and he knew it was Gin. His heart raced back to maximum speed when it occurred to him that his tormentor was in fact chasing after him, but just not at a particularly fast pace. The pressure felt like a lead weight attached to the boy's back. At this rate, he would never find Kakashi and escape from here without encountering Gin. Pausing, he looked at the front door of the house, he could easily unlock it from the inside and make his escape without Kakashi… no! He knew the other man was here and he sure as hell wasn't going to make this rescue mission even harder by disappearing off outside and abandoning his saviour to his fate.

Instinctively, he ran off again, following the obvious route Kakashi might have taken. The back stairs at the rear of the house! Surely he would be making an attempt to get to those so that he could search another floor of the house. He continued to run as fast he was able, desperate to catch up with his saviour. Making his way to the front hall of the large building, he proceeded in the direction of the other staircase. He cursed the house under his breath for being so large, almost like a maze. Plenty of hiding places, but it meant it would be harder to find the person he was looking for.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps behind him once again, suddenly much louder and nearer this time. His heart jumped. How could Gin have made it here so quickly? His vision blurred from the panic as he imagined what was going to happen to him. It was a trick, it had to be! Gin had given him false hope and was now going to punish him harshly for his disobedience as he dared run away, despite being told to do so. In his panic he wanted to scream Kakashi's name out loud so that his saviour would emerge from wherever he was hiding and come to his rescue, but Sasuke couldn't even open his mouth. His damn body had frozen on him again! It always let him down when he needed it the most!

"Sasuke!" a familiar voice sounded, its tone saturated with sheer relief.

"Kakashi!" Finally the boy was able to speak, albeit only just. He threw himself into his lover's arms and tucked his head deep into his chest, inhaling the familiar scent. The tears he'd been holding back began to trickle down his cheeks. He felt secure, protected and safe as the other man wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. He could finally leave this place and never return. But his relief was short-lived. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps again, this time coming up behind them fast. He knew it was Gin for sure; the footsteps were too loud and heavy to be anybody else's.

What was left of the small amount of colour in the boy's face quickly drained away when it hit him like a ton of bricks what he'd done. Gin was using him to bait Kakashi, to draw him out from wherever he was hiding and Sasuke had walked right into the trap. At the time he was too confused and driven by a mixture of fear and adrenaline. He didn't think Gin's proposition over properly at all and now he was going to pay for it. What was worse was that Kakashi was going to pay as well. Panicking once again, he pulled away from the secure grip of his older lover.

"Kakashi, get out of here now! While there's still time!" Sasuke gasped, the footsteps getting ever louder and closer.

"We're both getting out of here, come on, this way…"

"NO! Go now! Please! RUN!" Sasuke begged. "It's a trap, Gin…"

"Hello Kakashi," Gin grinned sarcastically as he leaned himself up against the doorway and folded his arms against his chest. "Thank you Sasuke, you did an excellent job at finding Kakashi before he found me. Good boy."

Gin smiled at Kakashi, who was now standing only a few meters away from him, Sasuke curled up against him once again. The look of determination on Kakashi's face amused the larger man. There was no way Kakashi could get into a fight with him and win, yet the look on his face suggested he was thinking about trying his luck at it. Gin forced himself to hold back his laughter as Kakashi protectively pushed Sasuke behind him, the boy clinging to his shirt as if his life depended on it. Well, his life actually did depend on it, but it wasn't as if Kakashi was going to be able to do much to save him anyway.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Gin sniggered, locking eyes with Kakashi. "Now it's Sasuke's turn to betray you. I knew he'd find you, so I followed. So much for any surprise attack you were planning."

"Is that so?" Kakashi hissed; the same level of sarcasm entering his voice as Gin usually oozed.

"Big words Kakashi. You talk big but I know you won't be able to go through with it. You're too weak, so is Sasuke. You two couldn't fight me and ever hope to win, even if you try to punch me with your weak fists and your worthless little dog there bites at my ankles."

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

Sasuke is alive but in bad shape. I need to get away from here. He's injured and needs medical attention; I can't linger about here waiting for Gin to attack me, I need to get him away. If ever there is a good time for Itachi to appear, now is it. But no fucking sign of him!! I knew he wouldn't stick to the plan! He's probably off at the other end of the house or something instead of staying close like we'd agreed on. I can see now why Sasuke hates him so much. He's clearly the most unreliable person in the world. He let Sasuke down when it really mattered and now he's doing the same to me. As much as I want to scream: 'Itachi! Get your fucking arse down here now you bastard!' I daren't give away our only hope. We still have the element of surprise and I plan to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Holding Sasuke close to me, I feel his panicked breath against my back as he clings on to me so tightly it hurts. We can't stand around here and wait for Itachi! Fuck this! It's time to run! We'll get into my car and leave the bastard here for all I care, but I don't know if we'll be able to outrun Gin or not. I'd be able too, but Sasuke is too badly injured. He can't put any weight on his left leg and he's sore, bruised and bloodied all over. I wish I could carry him and still manage to outrun Gin, but I know it's not possible. We'll just have to try running and hope for the best. If he catches up, which he probably will, then I'm just going to have to fight.

Gin can sense I'm about to make a dash for it, my tense body language acting like a fluresant, flashing sign above my head. I can see him lean forward slightly like he's getting ready to give chase. The bastard is enjoying this so much. He loves an unfair fight when the outcome is already foretold. Gin will most likely win this one.

I curse Itachi under my breath and grab Sasuke to get him to run away with me, when I notice his eyes focused intensely behind Gin. They are open wide, almost in disbelief and he's completely unsure if what he's seeing is real or not. I quickly glance at the spot where he's looking. A smile spreads across my lips. Itachi! He took his bloody time!

**End of Chapter 13**

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Thank you so much for reading! I had absolutely no idea where this chapter was going, I just sat down, typed and waited to see what would happen. Anyway, this is how it turned out and I hope it isn't rubbish!

I'm away on holiday for a few days today and I didn't have enough time to proof read this as much as I'd like so I apologise for any mistakes, but I wanted to get this chapter up before I left. I've already left it so long without updating and it isn't fair on you lovely, patient people! ;)

Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far! See you next chapter,

Laura xx


	14. Chapter 14

**The Secret: Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kakashi, Sasuke or Itachi. If I did, Naruto would be porn and seeing as it clearly isn't indicates that I don't own the rights to anything.

**Author's note: **Ok, this is where I take the opportunity to beg for your forgiveness! This update is ridiculously late and I'm so, so sorry! Now onto excuses, lol. Basically I've entered the world of the employed, working late nights and weekends in a shopping centre. On top of this I'm studying for my A-Levels and my granddad is in hospital. Oh! And I fell and sprained my wrist too, lol! I'm such a klutz! So between working, school work, general aches and pains and visiting my granddad, I've had little free time to sit down and update. Anyways, my granddad will be getting out of hospital soon and I'm planning to cut down my hours a bit because it's interfering too much with my school work, so (in theory) I'll have a bit more free time! Yay! Please forgive me if my updates are late, but I plan to try and update once every 2 weeks. I will never abandon this story, so don't worry about that! :)

So… thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, read, favourited the last chapter and the story so far. Here is the long awaited update! Enjoy! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

I can't tell if Sasuke is more shocked from seeing his brother for the first time in God knows how long; or from Gin getting ready to tear us limb from limb. It's probably a mixture of both actually. I pray Itachi doesn't fire the fatal shot just yet though, Sasuke is already shaken up badly and the last thing he needs to see are some guy's brains being blown out of his head right in front of him. I need to get him away from here before Itachi takes more drastic actions. Itachi looks at me and nods, but he doesn't have his gun in his hand, he must have it in his pocket or something. Perhaps he's actually going to stick to the plan. Getting Sasuke to safety is far more important than anything else. I don't need to look at him to know how he's feeling right now. I can sense his trembling hands as he clutches onto me for dear life.

Itachi nods at me again before pointing behind us and then pointing at a small chair sitting not far behind Gin. What the hell is he trying to say? I think he wants for us to run, maybe? But what's with the chair? I don't know but I quickly look away from him in case Gin looks behind to see what's attracted my attention. I pull Sasuke's head to the side also to divert his attention as we could all too easily give away Itachi's position accidently. Thankfully Gin didn't pick up on our simultaneous focus on the space behind him. Instead he looks at us intently; ready to anticipate our next move and ready to give chase should we run; that cruel grin spread neatly across his lips.

I gaze over at Itachi one last time before I get ready to run with Sasuke. I swear to fuck he better have some sort of plan up his sleeve. If that crazed man gets his hands on either one of us, we're as good as dead. I hate putting my trust in someone I barely know, although on saying that I've never exactly been a situation like this before. I silently pray that this all works out.

"Run," I whisper into Sasuke's ear, grab his shaking hand and pull him behind me as I start to sprint back towards the front door of the house. Sasuke yelps as he's spun around, and forced to put pressure on his already injured leg. As soon as we've turned in the opposite direction, I hear a cocky laugh followed by loud footsteps slamming against the ground behind us. Oh God Itachi! Do something! My heart is in my mouth as I try to drag Sasuke along behind me, but as I predicted, his injuries are slowing him down to a great extent. Gin is gaining fast, and at this rate we'll be lucky to get out of this particular room let alone outside and to the safety of my car.

"You're even more of an idiot than I give you credit for Kakashi!" Gin bellows from behind us. "Do you really think you'll be able to get out of here alive? I feel sorry for you both."

I wish I had some sort of smart-ass reply for that, but at this exact second in time, I'm not feeling my most confident. Come on Itachi! Fucking help!

Without warning, I'm suddenly jerked backwards, my grip on Sasuke's hand quickly loosening. My heart nearly stops as I spin around to see him being pulled back by Gin's strong hands, gripping the back of his t-shirt and dragging him away from me. His frightened eyes lock with mine and I can clearly see the shock and terror spreading across his features. It's like everything is happening ten times faster than it actually should. I reach back to try and grab Sasuke, but it's too late, Gin has him just out of my immediate grasp. He cries out to me as Gin pulls him back roughly, and I feel my stomach churn when I see a flash of shiny metal now in his hand and moving towards Sasuke's exposed throat. Without thinking, I lunge myself at the older man, but before I can get there, the deafening sound of something solid meeting human bone rings loudly in my ears, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. What just happened? It happened too fast, I missed it. But Itachi is there, he's standing just behind Gin, a look of determination on his face.

Gin cries out loudly, immediately dropping his weapon and releasing Sasuke from his vice-like grip. The boy collapses to the ground just as Gin falls to his knees grasping at his head. Stunned, I try to work out what the hell just happened. I didn't hear a gun shot, I'm sure of it.

"For fuck sake run!" Itachi yells at me. "Get Sasuke out of here!"

No more time to think. Instinctively I pull the boy to his feet and attempt to pull him along behind me, hoping that the adrenaline pumping through my veins is happening to him as well. I need him to find the strength to make it out of here before Gin comes after us again. Although, briefly looking behind me, I can see Sasuke's tormentor lying on the ground, blood dripping down the back of his head. Itachi is still standing above him, pieces of the broken chair he must have used to temporarily stun Gin still in his hands. I assume he's waiting for us to get out of here so that he can finish off what he started. I'm thankful that he's got going to pull the trigger in front of Sasuke, and I'm sure he'll follow along behind us once the deed is done.

Relief spreads throughout every part of me as I feel now I can finally relax. This whole horrible ordeal will soon be over and we'll all make it out alive. Well, except Gin. But he's had this coming for a long time now. I hope he rots in hell. The bastard.

However, my relief is short-lived. A loud crash followed by the sound of Itachi's pained voice causes both me and Sasuke to stop in our tracks and turn around. My heart starts to race again. This can't be happening! This can't fucking be happening! Itachi has been knocked to the ground as Gin struggles to his feet. I should have known a whack on the head wouldn't be enough to take Gin out. Sure enough Itachi's signature move knocked me out cold for goodness knows how long, but Gin is an entirely different story. I swear the man's skull is thicker than a cement wall! He must have pretended he was more badly hurt than he actually was to draw Itachi close enough so that he could strike out at him, catching him by surprise. I know Gin and that's definitely something he would so.

What unsettles me more is that I can see Itachi's gun lying a few meters across the floor from where he landed. What should I do? Panic starts to set in. Do I help Itachi or do I get Sasuke away from the danger? My heart beats painfully in my chest. Maybe if I could get his gun before Gin…

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Itachi screams at me, pulling himself to his feet just as Gin lunges at him, knocking him over once again.

"JUST GET OUT! GET SASUKE TO SAFETY! DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!" he yells again, this time making my mind up for me. I'll get Sasuke away from this situation, then come back to help him… if he survives that long.

I let out a deep breath before turning around and tugging at Sasuke's arm, but he's frozen to the spot.

"No! No!" he cries, "Itachi! Itachi needs…"

"Sasuke, MOVE!" I yell at him, more than ready to pick him up and carry him over my shoulder, whilst he undoubtedly struggles as much as he can. "I'll come back and help him! Don't worry."

"But he'll be killed…"

"He won't be killed. Now come on, please!"

Knowing he's defeated and that I will physically drag him from here if I have too, Sasuke turns and tries to run along beside me as fast as his injuries will allow. Another pained cry from his brother causes him to stop briefly, but I manage to pull him along before he can look around, and eventually we make it to the front door.

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**(Itachi's point of view)**

I'm not going to let him win, there's no way he's going to win! I can feel the rage spreading throughout every part of my body, but I don't know if it will be enough to keep this monster of a man at bay long enough for Kakashi and Sasuke to escape. I can't believe that blow wasn't enough to knock him out cold! The force was probably enough to bring down a horse!

"It's nice to see you again Itachi. I knew you'd come crawling back to me. You just couldn't keep away, could you? God, if you missed my touch that badly all you had to do was call!" Gin laughs in a mocking tone, blood from his previous injury trickling down his face but not fazing him in the slightest. It's almost like he enjoys receiving pain just as much as he enjoys delivering it. The man is even more insane than I remember. I don't want to remember what he did to me, but allowing myself to accept that he did the same thing to my little brother adds fuel to my already raging fire. I can't let him get away with it. Getting up to my feet once again, I quickly strike out with my right fist and catch him across the face, but he just looks at me and grins. That horrible, manic grin that haunted my dreams as a child. Hell! It still haunts my dreams!

"Since when did you learn to defend yourself?" Gin laughs quietly as he wipes away the trickle of blood now stemming from his nose. "Not bad, Itachi, not bad. It will take a hell of a lot more than that though! You definitely haven't increased your intelligence or your strength since the last time I saw you."

"You bastard!" I hiss at him before lunging at him once again. This time he anticipated my move and dodged my fist with plenty of time to spare.

"You're calling me a bastard?" he smirks. "I'm not the one who abandoned my little brother, now am I?"

"You nearly KILLED my little brother!"

"Correction, I _will_ kill your little brother and I'll take down you and his pervert older lover with you."

What? Pervert older lover! What does Gin mean by 'perverted older lover'? Is Kakashi fucking my baby brother?? Gin must have seen the blank expression on my face, because the sound of his bellowing laughter echoes around the room and snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Oh you didn't know!" he chuckles. "Kakashi is screwing your baby brother, and holy shit, can he make that boy scream! The walls in this house are far too thin in places."

Huh? Is Gin being serious? Is Kakashi sleeping with my brother! For fuck sake the kid is barely legal! In this case he's no better than that sadistic monster standing in front of me! I can't believe I trusted him and the entire time he's been doing the dirty with my baby brother. Well, I certainly didn't see that one coming. All of a sudden part of my rage is directed at a certain silver-haired pervert. I'll go through him after I'm finished with Gin!! He's not going to get away with this either!

"Sasuke does scream loudly mind you," Gin breaks my annoyed thoughts once again. "Your sweet little brother is such a whore, you know that. He must take it after you! The dirty little slut can't spread his legs open enough. Just how you used to be now that I think of it."

"SHUT UP!" I scream, how dare he say such things? He knows there's no truth behind any of it. Gin never gave me an option as to whether I wanted it or not, I don't believe it was any different for Sasuke. The stuff that messed up bastard made us do! Screwing shut my eyes; I try to block the repressed memories from flooding back into my head.

"Sasuke loves it though," Gin smirks again as he digs deeper into the subject, knowing all to well the effect it has on me. "He would beg for more and all of my friends loved him for that. I swear the boy was insatiable, he'd happily allow himself to be laid by more than just one man a night. I hope Kakashi can keep up with his lust, if not he'll have to pass him around."

"DON'T SPEAK CRAP!" I yell in response. I know what he's doing; he's playing mind games again. He does this a lot and I know I can't let his lies get to me. Still, the thought of my baby brother being violated against his will sends waves of anger throughout my body to the point where my muscles are shaking. I know what it was like for him. Without thinking, once again I lunge at Gin, praying that this time I will be able to get past him and dive for my gun that has skidded out of my reach. I'm going to fucking blow his head to pieces.

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

"Stay here Sasuke," I instruct him in my calmest possible voice considering the circumstances. "I will be right back for you, but you must stay here in my car until then, do you understand?

"No! I can't stay here while you and Itachi…"

"YOU WILL STAY HERE!" I yell, my patience wearing thin. The sudden aggression in my voice instantly shuts the boy up. He's not used to hearing me raise my voice at him and I think it's scared him. It's the last thing I wanted to do, but the panic and stress have long since eaten away at my laid back nature and I swear I'm starting to loose control of myself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout," I take a deep breath and wrap my arms around him. "But it's very important you stay here, alright? I'm going back to help Itachi and we should both be back here soon. If we aren't back in about 20 minutes, then I want you to get out of this car and run. There is a public road not so far away from here, and I want you to flag down a car there if you can and get away. If you want to call the police once you've done that, call the police, ok? But you need to stay here for the time being and its best we don't get the authorities involved just yet."

He looks at me with tears in his eyes and nods. It frightens me to think that this could be the last time I'll ever see him, but I quickly shake that thought from my mind. No, I will be back here for him. Gin will not get the better of me.

"KAKASHI! Wait!" he cries after me.

"What Sasuke?" I shout back with an irritated tone. For someone who was previously so desperate to help his brother, he's going a great job at stalling the rescue attempt now that it's about to happen!

"There's something important you need to know," he looks down at the ground, almost afraid to look me in the eyes.

"What do I need to know?" I reply, puzzled as he composes himself and gulps in a deep breath of fresh air.

"Kakashi…" he pauses for a minute before he rapidly blurts out his next sentence. "Gin killed your father!" I stare back at him, astonished. "That man he killed that night in front of me… it was your father."

"What…" I gasp, trying to absorb the quiet, shaking words that came from the boy's mouth just seconds ago. Sasuke isn't lying; I've known him long enough to know the boy isn't a liar. And furthermore, he would never make something like that up, especially something concerning my father. He knows how close I was to my father and how his death shattered my world and tore me apart mentally. He looks back at me, his eyes wide and teary; several fingers spread across his bottom lip as he waits, almost afraid, for my response.

No, he's definitely not lying. I was a fool to allow myself to believe that my father committed suicide, but I guess deep in my heart I kind of wanted to believe that, even though I knew my father had no known history of depression or anything similar. I just didn't want to believe that another human being could bring themselves to take another person's life, my father's life. What worries me just as much is that it was my mother who told me he committed suicide… I wonder if she knew… no, she would never lie to me about something like that. Although now it does kind of make sense as to why Gin paid for me to study for a few years away from home, he must have been planning this for a while now. Call me naïve, too trusting or whatever you want, but Gin won't get away with it now that I know the truth. I'll have time to question Sasuke more about this later and let the unexpected news sink in.

Quickly, and without saying another word, I turn away from him and run back towards the house. I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him. I want to be the one who pulls the trigger, not Itachi. I want to make him pay. A level of rage I never knew I could even muster fills up inside me, everywhere from the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes are tingling. Now I'm out for more than _just_ revenge. Still, I pray Itachi is alright and I'm not too late. With the both of us going at Gin then we stand a chance, but if one of us goes down, well, then we're pretty much screwed, however determined either of us might be.

I run back into the house and retrace my steps back to Itachi. My heart continues to race as I sprint through the hall as fast as I can. Suddenly, a piercing sound of a gun shot rings through the air, causing my heart to almost leap out of my chest. I stop dead in my tracks once again as that all too familiar feeling of dread pools in the pit of my stomach. One of them could be dead… but which one? Gathering up what's left of my nerves, and spurred on sweet revenge, I make one last dash to the room from which the gun shot sounded, dreading what I might find there. What if Gin got hold of the gun, killed Itachi and now he's waiting patiently for me to come along, burst through the door and then be subjected to the same fate. I try not to think about it as I carry on running. I can't think about it, all I can allow myself to think about is Gin's bullet-ridden corpse falling to the ground, that hideous, smug look on his face instantly changing from shock to regret in his final moments of life. I smile at the thought. This is for Sasuke _and_ my father.

Darting back into the room at break-neck speed, my focus is quickly directed towards the two figures at the back of the room; Itachi pressed against the wall struggling with all his strength to prevent Gin from turning the gun to his face and firing. Somehow the two must have gotten into a struggle over the weapon, but I'm filled with relief that Itachi is still alive and still fighting. He looks injured, but he's definitely not ready to give up and allow Gin to finish him off.

Adrenaline spurs me forward and before I even realise what I'm doing, my fist has connected with the side of Gin's face, the unexpected hit causing both him and Itachi to lose grip of the weapon. I jump slightly as it goes off again as it skids across the floor, the bullet ricocheting of the wall and shattering a nearby window. I'm worried that Sasuke will hear the shots and come running back into the house to see if we're alright, instead of running away like I told him too. Itachi stares back at me blankly, he's exhausted, badly injured and I'm worried he'll loose consciousness on me. He'd better not fucking do that or I'll kill him myself! I need his help!

"I KNOW THE TRUTH!" I scream, lashing out wildly, striking the older man once again. I'm surprised at my strength. I never thought I had it in me, but I've somehow managed to almost knock Gin almost off balance. Just one more well-aimed strike will do it, cause him to fall over and I might be able to get the gun! Itachi sits motionless, panting against the wall. He tries to get up to his feet but he quickly slides back down again as his legs appear to have given out on him. He's more hurt than I previously thought, Gin must have beaten the crap out of him, but I have to admire the fact that he still hasn't given up. Once again he tries unsuccessfully to get to his feet to try and help me. I swing my fists at Gin once again, but this time he manages to dodge my attack.

"The truth, eh?" he laughs. "I suppose you heard it from your little slut then? Don't worry Kakashi, I'm sure you'll die just as pathetically as your father did… hey! And guess what!"

I don't care what he has to say! I'm not going to let it get to me, although he has confirmed that he is guilty of my father's murder. He's probably going to try and mess about with my head for a bit, I can't listen to him or else I'll loose focus.

"Your mother was in on it too!"

I stop mid-swing and stare into his cruel eyes in confusion. No, no, no! That's a fucking lie!

"LAIR!" I scream in response, but it's too late. Gin has won the distraction he's been seeking. He easily catches me off guard and knocks to the ground with one strike of his powerful fists. With the adrenaline pumping through my body, I barely feel it, but before I realise it I'm on the ground and Gin has the gun in his hands and he's aiming it at my head. Have I lost this battle already? Keeping one eye on Itachi in case he tries anything funny, he looks down at me.

"No, really! Ask your slut and he'll tell you the same thing. I ended up telling him everything. Not that you'll actually have time to ask him or anything, so you'll just have to take my word for it…"

My breath comes in uncontrollable gasps as Gin points the gun at my face and gets ready to pull the trigger.

"You're next Itachi! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you!" he shouts in a mocking tone at the injured man collapsed not far from me. "God, you are both pathetic."

I screw shut my eyes as I hear the gun go off. Sasuke is the last thing that enters my mind. I've failed him and I've failed my father. Fucking hell I've even managed to fail Itachi. I guess I deserve to die. Taking deep breaths, I prepare myself for my fate, but to my dismay I hear a familiar voice cry out before what feels like a body collapsing down on top of me. The ringing of the gun shot still sounds in my ears as I dare open an eye to try and work out why I'm not dead. I freeze. My heart almost stops and if I had anything in my stomach to throw up, it would be all over the floor by now. My eyes widen and pupils shrink in horror of the sight before me. Is this a dream? If it is then why can't I wake up? Sasuke lies almost on top of me, struggling for breath as hot, sticky blood oozes from a wound in his chest and seeps into the material of my trousers. Oh God… this isn't happening… please God, save me! End this nightmare.

**End of chapter 14 **

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Thanks for reading! I kind of feel bad abandoning you here at such a cruel cliffy, but my wrist hurts and I can't type any more! I'm not going to give away much about the next chapter, so you will have to wait and see if they all make it out alive or not! :P

At the minute I'm hoping to start drafting out a plan for my next story after this one, so I sat down with a pen and some paper, a cup of tea and got myself ready to brainstorm ideas… but nothing happened! It seems my creative juices have run dry and I'm struggling to piece together a new plot!

Perhaps some of you kind people out there can help me find inspiration! Does anybody have a good idea for a story that perhaps they don't have time to write out themselves? I'm also stuck on pairings. I love writing Kaka/Sasu (as you can probably tell) where Sasuke is the uke! I mean, come on! He's the bloody poster boy for the bottom! Non-Sasuke-as-uke stories freak me out! Anyways, I'm not sure if I should stick to Kaka/Sasu or try a different pairing. At the minute I love the Zack/Cloud (FF7) pairing… mmmm yummyful, but I'm still not sure what I should write next. Should I stick to Naruto or branch out? I think I'd be happy either way but I do like to work on one story at a time so I can give it my full attention! :D

Sorry, I'm rambling on a bit. Well, thanks so much for your patience and I will see you next chapter!

Much love,

Laura xx


	15. Important notice

**Important Notice: Please Read**

My story has been plagerised… word for word in fact. A very dishonest person who goes by the name of 'redcherries93' has stolen 'The Secret' and is passing it off as her own original work on foreverfandom. net, renaming it 'Abused'. Chapters 1-7 have been stolen by this liar and thief and needless to say I'm not a happy bunny right now. As a result this story will have to be put on hold until the matter is sorted out. I don't want to post the new chapter out of fear of it being stolen by this person who clearly can't come up with a decent idea for a story on their own. If this continues to happen I will stop writing completely once 'The Secret' is finished.

Here is the link to my story on foreverfandom and as you can clearly see, it has been copied word for word. Because you can not post links in your stories, I will break it up, so all you need to do is copy and paste it into your browser, then close up all the gaps. I will link you to her account and 'Abused' is the first story posted there. I would also like to add that she has copied everything from my disclaimer to my author's notes. She's even trying to pass Gin off as her own character.

www. foreverfandom. net/viewuser .php? uid 33036

I have very good reason to believe that this person is also ItaSasu93 here on Fanfiction. Net. Anyway, I have contacted the admins of foreverfandom, as well as 'redcherries93', asking her politely to remove my story from her account, so hopefully it will be removed very soon and hopefully 'The Secret' will not be on hold for long provided my story is removed by either redcherries93 or the foreverfandom staff.

Please don't be angry at me for temporarily halting proceedings, but it is very upsetting to find out that something you've been working so hard on for months has been so blatantly plagerised by someone else. I'd just like to make a few things clear for future reference:

I have absolutely no problem with people using my ideas so long as they ask me first and credit me as the original author. I work very hard on my stories just like everyone else and I don't want my ideas stolen! How I look at it is that I'm using characters that aren't mine (although I have never tried to pass them off as such), so I don't mind if people want to re-work my story ideas or write a similar story with a different pairing. Just ask first, I won't say no because I believe the fanfiction community should work together and help each other out during times of writer's block. I'm flattered if my story has sparked of an idea in your head that you want to pursue.

If you do want to use my ideas, don't copy out my chapters word for word, just changing character's names and stuff and please don't follow my chapter structure exactly either. Re-work the plot into your own words, your own style and make it better! I'd love to see what you come up with.

Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling now. Plagiarism sucks, it's the lowest of the low and I hope nobody else gets their hard work stolen by this person or anyone else! I'm half way through the new chapter and hopefully it will be up soon! I'd also like to give a huge thank you to the kind people who spotted my stolen story on another site and informed me right away. You guys are awesome!

Much love and hugs,

Laura xx


	16. Chapter 16

**The Secret: Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: **As much as I dream of it, I don't own Sasuke, Kakashi or Itachi and I never will.

**Author's Note/UPDATE: **Ok, The Secret is officially back! Yay! The Forever Fandom staff where really helpful and sympathetic and they removed my plagerised story from the site without any problems. They gave the thief a warning; although I think they should have deleted her account as it turned out every single story posted there was word for word plagerised from other people. Both the Forever Fandom staff told me this, as well as the very nice person who broke the news to me in the first place. I doubt "redcherries93" has learned her lesson, but hopefully she'll think twice before doing something so stupid, and just plain wrong again. You'd think she would have at least tried to make the story even just a little bit different, but copying disclaimers word for word and everything! That's just lazy! Come on! At least make a damn effort to cover your tracks.

But anyway, enough ranting, thank you all so much for understanding and not being too mad at me for abruptly halting the story at a really tense part, and sorry to everyone who thought my rant last chapter was actually the new chapter of the story! I'm sorry if I got your hopes up, but here it is now! A bit late, but at least its here! I hope you enjoy it. And once again thank you all so much for your kind words and support, you've helped restore my trust in the fanfiction writing community once again! :hugs you all: Hopefully this won't happen again and I'll be making regular Google searches to make sure it doesn't! And finally, please forgive my sulky rant last 'chapter', but I was just so mad! Grrrrrrr!

Alright, now that's all out of the way, please enjoy the next chapter of The Secret! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

How did I let this happen? My breath comes in panicked gasps as I stare down at the pale, listless, but precious body of the boy lying across me, curled up tightly as he gasps for air, convulsing in pain and shaking violently.

I let this happen. I was supposed to protect him, but I failed. He's dying here right in front of my eyes and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. I want to take him into my arms, hold him and comfort him in our final few moments of life, but my body is frozen. I can't move, no matter how much I want too, my body just won't respond. God I'm such a failure, I can't even do _that_ for him. Why he placed so much trust in me to begin with, I just don't know. I guess he really believed that I'd save him, take him away from his prison and give him the life he deserves. But no, I'm a weakling and a failure and the last thing he'll see before he takes his last breath is me, unable to hold back my tears and just as terrified as he is. I'm meant to be the strong one, but here I am falling to bits when he needs me the most. I pray Gin pulls the trigger and pulls it fast, I don't deserve to live. I want this over with.

No such luck. Gin enjoys gloating too much.

"Good boy Sasuke, you've made my job here so much easier. After I killed these two idiots, I was going to track you down and blow your pretty little head off," Gin smirks, delighted by the sudden change of events. "I won't have to go to the bother now. Thanks for that."

He looks back in my direction; that delighted grin still across his features. It makes me sick.

"What a loyal little dog you have there Kakashi, I'm sure Sasuke would never have done such a thing for me. I have to admit I'm a little jealous, but oh well! I'll get over it. Say your last goodbyes to that little slut of yours; I'm going to finish him off first, you know, just to add to your feelings of helplessness and all that."

The grin on Gin's face is suddenly replaced by a more serious expression. Finally, the end, it's over. I may have lost but at least this struggle is in its closing stages.

"I love you Sasuke…" I mutter under my breath, hoping he will have heard my weak, barely audible words. "I'm sorry…"

The world around me starts to go black, but I'm not sure if it's my blurred vision finally giving up on me or if Gin has fired that fatal shot. I just don't know anymore, nothing seems real at this exact moment in time. My heart feels as if it's going to burst as adrenaline pumps through my body, but it's too little, too late.

Crash!

My eyes shoot open, but I don't remember closing them. The room comes into focus. I'm not dead… am I? No, I'm still breathing.

"KAKASHI!" a familiar voice shouts. "THE GUN! GET THE GUN!"

It's all happening too fast.

"GET THE FUCKING GUN!"

"Itachi…" I whisper as I catch sight of him on the ground next to Gin, who is struggling to get back to his feet. Itachi must have thrown himself at the bigger man in one last desperate attempt to save our lives. I wish I had his strength. I was ready to give up and accept my fate, but he wasn't. I admire him greatly for that, but there will be time for praise later. This is my last chance to save Sasuke.

Forcing myself upwards, I make one last attempt to get the weapon. Gin is on his feet now and unfortunately, he has the same idea as me. With all my remaining strength, I manage to grasp hold of the gun. Holy shit, I think we might win this! However, Gin's desperate attempt to snatch the weapon from my hand sends it skidding across the floor once again.

Fuck! My eyes open wide in terror as Gin tosses me out of the way like a ragdoll, adrenaline almost tripling his strength. It's a matter of life or death now for him too. My head starts to spin again and my body isn't reacting as fast as I need it too. Fuck! Why this, why now? My legs feel weak underneath me as I try to get back onto my feet so that I can fight to save the life of the one I love… if I'm not to late, that is. Please hold on Sasuke.

Forcing my weary body into action, it's not long before I've almost caught up with Gin. It was probably less than a split second, but it felt longer, as if I'd been running for hours. My heart is close to exploding. Summoning everything left in me, I dive at Gin and managed to grab hold of his legs. He wasn't expecting it as he crashes to the ground. He spins around as he kicks out, trying to dislodge my grip. I can't let go! This is for Sasuke and my father; I have to hold him long enough for Itachi to get the gun. His eyes lock with mine briefly and what I see is barely human. They are filled with rage, desperation and… fear? Perhaps Gin is human after all. He's afraid.

"Kakashi!" A familiar voice rings in my ears as I dare look up. The sense of relief is unreal. Quickly letting go of Gin's leg, I dart to my feet and run over to Itachi before he can grab me and try to use me as a hostage or something.

Never in my life have I been so happy to see a gun.

Itachi's hand shakes as he holds the weapon pointed directly at Gin's head. The bigger man stands, defeated, shock spread across his face, his body rigid. He thought he'd won this. Suddenly I'm reminded of the Gin I thought I knew when I was younger. That look on his face, more than just fear, absolute terror makes what's left of his human side more visible to me. I'd almost forgotten that side of him existed. In a way I want to feel sorry for him, but I can't bring myself to even acknowledge the thought. He's nothing but a weak, pathetic loser who victimises those smaller and weaker than himself; those who can't fight back. I'm stronger than he will ever be.

Bang.

It happened in an instant. The bullet shot straight through his skull as he stood, still in disbelief, staring back at both myself and Itachi. A thin stream of blood oozes from the wound before his legs give out from underneath him, sending him falling unceremoniously to the ground. I caught the last look in his eyes before he collapsed. Regret maybe? No, who am I kidding? It was certainly a sorry look, but more for himself than anybody else. He honestly thought he was invincible. He never once thought that I could defeat him.

Looking back at Itachi I can see he's trembling. That once determined, strong demeanor about him vanishes into thin air. I can't imagine that he's ever killed a man before and all the mental preparation in the world couldn't ready him for this moment. He stares at the corpse of Gin, seemingly in a world of his own, a mixture of disbelief and shock clouding his senses.

Breaking myself from my stunned stupor, I suddenly remember one very important little detail.

"Sasuke!" I cry, breaking the deathly silence that previously only the sound of my pounding heart filled. Running towards him as fast as my feet will carry me, panic engulfs every part of my body. I don't care about Gin anymore, in fact, I've pretty much forgotten about him already. The bastard can rot in hell for all I care.

Finally I've regained control over my body, well, almost. I collapse to my knees when I reach him, his small body is curled up into a ball, his blood stained hands still clutching at his chest. I don't know if he's alive or not. He could have slipped away during mine and Itachi's final struggle and we didn't even notice! I don't know if it's possible, but I feel even more disgusted with myself. He's so pale, almost as white as death itself. He's very pale normally, but this… this is just scary.

"Sasuke!" I cry again, praying that I'll get an answer, a slight movement, a cough, anything!

He whimpers quietly as I pull him into my arms. His eyes are red and swollen from crying and I hate to think of how much pain he must be in right now, but he's alive; he's breathing. Thank you God. Burying his head into my chest, he clutches at my shirt, his grip weak and his breathing laboured.

"Please hold on Sasuke, it's going to be alright now. Please don't die on me," I whisper as I hold onto him for dear life, tears staining my cheeks once again. "We're going to move away from here, and you're going to go back to school and you're going to be happy. Please don't give up Sasuke…"

"Kakashi…" Itachi's shaky voice captures my attention. "I… I… need to get out of here. I h…h…have to go. The police can't know I was here and you need to call an ambulance for Sasuke…"

"Where will you go?" I ask him, my concerns doubling.

"Friends…" he tries his hardest to sound confident. "I have a safe house I can go too, then I'll have to leave the country again one I look less, well, beaten up. All I have to do is make a phone call and they will come and get me. How do you think I tracked you down and got to your house in the first place? They know about everything. B…but… I know you will, but please look after my baby brother for me. Tell him that I'm sorry I have to abandon him again, but…"

"He'll understand…" I interrupt him, still clutching onto the frail body in my arms.

My heart really does ache for Itachi, having to leave his brother at a time like this, but it's true, nobody can find out he was here or else he could be charged for Gin's murder. I'm still not sure how I'm going to explain this one to the police. I suppose I could say that in a struggle over the weapon it misfired and the bullet hit him in the head. Besides, he shot Sasuke! If I didn't get into a fight with him over the weapon he could have killed me too. It was in self-defense. Whatever happens though, I make a mental promise to myself that I will not so much as mention Itachi's involvement. He saved my life, and hopefully Sasuke's life too. We wouldn't be alive right now, albeit only just, if it wasn't for him.

He limps over and ruffles Sasuke's hair gently as he whispers something about seeing him again in the future. I don't know if Sasuke even heard him, right now he's still buried against me as I press some material from my shirt against his wound to try and stem the blood flow as much as possible.

"Thanks…" I whisper to Itachi as he walks away from us. He doesn't look back, instead choosing to raise his hand in acknowledgement. I hope he'll be alright, but right now I have other, more immediate concerns to deal with. Sasuke is loosing blood and he's starting to get cold. I'm not sure where I managed to find the strength from, but scooping him up in my arms, I carry him out of the room. I don't want him seeing Gin's corpse.

Lying him down on a sofa in the main living room, he still remains attached to my shirt, desperately not wanting me to let him go. My heart continues to race as I pull his hands away and leave him there as I run upstairs to grab a blanket and call an ambulance. My world has gone from slow motion to time racing faster ten times faster than it should. Sasuke isn't safe yet, I could still loose him. I force myself not to panic, I've done far too much of that today as it is, but I'm not really doing a very good job at trying to prevent it. I grab the phone and run back downstairs to him, calling the emergency services as I wrap the blanket around him.

They promised me that they'd be there in a few minutes, but I only pray Sasuke will last that long. He's becoming more and more listless with every passing second, and his breathing is becoming more laboured. He's even paler, and colder…

"Sasuke, please, it's going to be alright," I gasp as I take him in my arms once again and cradle his weakening body. He's loosing too much blood and I can't stop the flow. I don't know what to do. My own breath comes in gulps as I struggle to keep any sort of control of myself. I curse Gin under my breath, the only comfort I can take refuge in is that he finally got what he deserved. If only his death could have been slower and more painful, but I can't exactly complain. He's gone now, forever. If I loose Sasuke, at least nobody else will ever have to suffer Gin's cruelty. No doubt after he got bored of Sasuke he would have simply killed him, then gone out to find himself another unwilling little play thing. I need to be thankful for small mercies, but right now trying to think positive isn't really helping. Sasuke is barely moving now at all, he's limp in my arms, his only movement is that of shaking and it's scaring me more than having a loaded gun pointed in my face. Sasuke doesn't deserve to die. Please God, don't let him die! I clutch him tighter and try to whisper reassuring words to him, begging him to hold on. I don't want to imagine my life without him.

The sound of an ambulance siren blaring closer and closer gives me a sudden jolt of hope. If Sasuke can just hold on… if he can just keep his eyes open a few moments more. The wait is excruciating. Why are they taking so long? For fuck sake COME ON! I hear muffled voices and foot steps running towards us. I barely realise it as the ambulance crew burst in through the door and run towards us. I think they are trying to talk to me, but in my confused and panicked state, I can't make out a word they are saying. Everything is blurry and happening too fast for me to properly comprehend.

Suddenly, to my horror, a strong pair of hands tries to remove Sasuke from my grip. No! What are they doing? They can't take him from me! I try to hold onto him, but I don't have the strength. Several more of the ambulance crew hold me back as my precious Sasuke is taken from me. The room is spinning and the deafening sound of screaming echoes in my ears. It takes me a while to realise that I'm actually the one screaming. I cry out for Sasuke as my blurred vision sees his limp, lifeless body being rushed out of the room in some stranger's arms and further away from me. Fighting as hard as I can against those people trying to restrain me, I use up every little bit of strength that I can find left inside myself. This isn't happening. I don't want anybody to take Sasuke away from me again. I want him back! Voices continue to buzz in my ear, but I can't understand them. It's as if they are all talking at once and I can't get them to stop.

Finally I'm overcome by the panic and exhaustion and I stop struggling, my limbs feeling like a dead weight. It wasn't long after that before the world around me slowly faded to black, my last conscious thoughts drifting towards Sasuke. Am I going to loose him?

**End of chapter 15**

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Thank you for reading! And there you have it, Gin is dead and Kakashi looses the plot! Although you can't really blame the poor guy. Sorry to leave you at yet another Sasuke life or death cliffy, but I promise that the final outcome will be revealed in the following chapter.

Please review and let me know what you think as this is another chapter I'm not entirely happy with, but I think I've left you guys waiting long enough so I'm not going to redraft it again. Hopefully the next chapter won't be such a long wait away, but sometimes life just gets in the way! Now that the plagiarism issue has been resolved, there shouldn't be any more extra long waits between chapters.

Anyways, thank you all so much for your patience and kind, encouraging words. I really appreciate your support and I hope that none of you ever get your hard work stolen! It's a really crappy feeling!

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	17. Chapter 17

**The Secret: Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sasuke, Itachi or Kakashi… you guys know the drill by now! ;)

**Notes: **OMG! This is the longest update time ever, I am SO sorry! It's the Christmas holidays now so I actually have some time to update this thing! I might even get it finished! Woohoo! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter; your kind comments keep me writing! I really, really appreciate it.

Now… on with an exceptionally late chapter….

Enjoy! :D

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**(Kakashi's point of view)**

It's scary just how much my life has changed ever since Sasuke stumbled his way inside. Everything I once knew and was content with has been overturned, trampled on and sure as hell will never been the same again. I'm not sure what normal is now. It's no longer what I thought it was and to be completely honest, it terrifies me. Where do I go from here? How do I get my life back together? Have I lost everybody I once cared so much about? My mum, my dad, Gin… Sasuke?

Sasuke! My eyes shoot open. I think I heard something that sounded like 'he's coming around!' but I'm not sure. I could simply be imagining it. Wait, no, there it is again. I know that voice. It's soft and strangely comforting, if it weren't for my fears surrounding Sasuke I could have quite happily closed my eyes and fallen asleep once again.

It takes a while for everything to begin to come into focus, but the whole time my heart races. Sasuke? Is he alright? Is he alive? I want to cry out for him, but my voice is silent, my throat dry and sore. The sickening scent of disinfectant floods my nostrils, and its only now that I'm beginning to realise where must be. I try to move, but my joints are sore and stiff. How long have I been out cold for?

The faces around me start to become even clearer, and I'm struck by a pair of piercing blue, familiar eyes. They are red and swollen from tears. Mum?

"Kakashi, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, it was never meant to happen like this, I never meant too…"

"Sasuke!" Finally I manage to choke the words out, pretty much blocking out everything my mother was trying to say to me. "Where is Sasuke?"

Once again that all too familiar, unpleasant feeling of panic seizes control of my body, that horrible feeling of helplessness returning at full force. It causes me to shoot upwards despite my drowsiness and stiff limbs. I ignore the jolt of pain that shoots through me; I need to know if Sasuke is alright!

"Calm down, it's alright Mr. Hatake. You need to lie down and rest," a person dressed in white, who I'm assuming is a doctor, tells me. "You have collapsed from exhaustion and you will make the symptoms worse if you don't calm yourself down."

Calm myself down??? What the fuck?

"How the hell am I supposed to calm myself down?" I cry; my throat dry and tender causing my voice sounding strained and unusually high-pitched in parts. "You didn't answer my question! Where is Sasuke? Is he alive?"

"Sasuke is the boy who was brought in with him," a very unconcerned sounding nurse informs the doctor who is looking at me in a confused state. "The one with the gun shot wound."

"Oh yes, that one," the doctor states calmly, clearing ignoring the state of urgency! Doesn't he understand or care that I need to know if the person I've fallen in love with is alive or fucking dead! If I wasn't feeling so damn weak I'd go for his throat right now in an instant and beat the necessary information out of him with his clipboard.

"What ward was he taken too?" the doctor asks the young nurse who is standing beside him.

"Intensive care I think, but that was a few days ago…"

"A few days ago?" I croak in shock, my voice starting to give up on me. I have to force every hoarse word out.

"Yes, you have been unconscious for three days Mr. Hatake," the doctor informs me. "How you even have the strength to sit up and argue with me is quite impressive. Anyway, I'm not sure where Sasuke is as intensive care is at the other end of this building and it's not my area of work. However, I do know that the boy was alive when he was brought in."

"Please, I need to know where he is and if he's alright," I beg, the weak state of my body finally catching up with me. I fall back down onto the pillow.

"I'll go and search for his records," the nurse smiles at me and exits the room, leaving me alone to pray that Sasuke is alright. The doctor soon follows her and if it weren't for the quiet sound of sobbing coming from the corner of the room, I would have sworn I was alone.

"I'm so sorry Kakashi…"

I turn my head around to see my mother sitting in a chair, her head in her hands. She looks the most pathetic I've ever seen her, and for a split second I long to hold her and tell her that everything is alright. She is my mother after all, but I believe those horrible things Sasuke and Gin told me.

"It's my entire fault…" she whimpers, tucking a strand of greasy hair behind her ears as she pulls the chair closer to the side of my bed. She looks a mess. Dark, tired circles frame her once bright and youthful eyes. I don't think she's washed in a while either, but I'm assuming that's because she's been in here with me the entire time I've been unconscious. It's not like her to let herself go like that. The guilt is destroying her. She tries to take my hand into hers but I pull it from her grasp. Facing her is hard right now…. knowing that she did.

"I know…" I whisper, almost hoping that she didn't hear those words, but I think she did because her eyes flood more deeply with sadness. "Gin killed dad, didn't he?" I whisper again, this time avoiding her gaze completely. "And you knew about it but didn't tell me."

I close my eyes, praying silently that it's not true, that maybe Sasuke was mistaken, or that Gin had been lying completely about the matter just to distract me. I mean, it's something he would do anyway. Dread fills my stomach almost to bursting point; I almost don't want to hear her answer. I want to go back to not knowing, I was happier then. My sheltered, naïve little bubble was a comforting and safe place to be. I don't want it to burst.

"Yes…" she sighs.

My heart drops in an instant. So it is true. I'm too disappointed in her to become mad right now, besides I don't have the energy and I can't stop worrying about Sasuke. Although, if she had lied and told me it wasn't true, you know, I probably would have forced myself to believe her. It would have just been easier that way.

"Why?" I ask forlornly, too numb to really feel anything other than worry right now. "Why did Gin kill dad?"

She lets out a deep sigh, taking a moment to hold back her sobs.

"You weren't meant to get hurt Kakashi, it wasn't supposed to happen like this…"

"What, and Sasuke _was_ supposed to get hurt? What about him? What about my dad?"

"I never knew anything about Sasuke. I don't even know how he came to be with Gin, but I do know that Sasuke unwittingly witnessed something he shouldn't have and it threatened everything," she speaks in between sobs, her face still buried in her hands. Her small frame shakes pathetically, but right now I'm too emotionally drained and exhausted to give a damn.

"You weren't meant to get hurt!" she cries out again, the guilt of her actions beginning to overwhelm her. She continues to shake violently. "Gin promised that you wouldn't get hurt!"

"Hurt physically…" I mutter under my breath. "That doesn't mean he didn't hurt me in other ways too…"

"Look, you know we've never had much money Kakashi, we've always had to save for everything! I did it for us; I did it so that we would never have financial problems ever again! Gin was the answer! If I went along with his plans, then he promised that he would make you the heir to his fortune and we would never have money worries again. I had to do it, please understand!"

I don't know what to say. I want to yell at her, call her a stupid, deluded bitch, tell her how much I hate her, but I don't have the energy. All I want is for Sasuke to be alright, she can go and rot in hell with Gin for all I care. My dad died because of her greed. I force back my tears. There was me thinking that Gin made me his heir for the right reasons, because he loved me like a son after my father died… sorry, was murdered. I was just a big, stupid pawn, oblivious to their plan, whatever it was. I remain silent. It's a bit too much to take in at the minute. It doesn't matter how foolish I was, or how ashamed with myself I happen to be right now, I want my bubble back. I want things to go back to how they used to be. I guess I never was one to fully embrace change but I know I need to start a new future now. Sasuke showed me the truth, a truth I didn't necessarily want to know, but I needed to be freed from the lies. There's no looking back now.

"Kakashi…" she gasps at me again, tears continuing to pour down her flushed cheeks. I can't even raise my eyes to look at her. She's dirt.

"Why did Gin kill my father? What was your fucked up plan?" I hiss, my fists clenching.

"I…."

"What was it?" I hiss again, the volume of my voice rising as it starts to return to me.

"I… you… You know Gin can't have children, right? And you know he's not exactly the most mentally stable person in the world…"

"Neither are you!" I hiss again. "And yes, I know he can't father children."

She pauses, taken aback and hurt by my comment, but she regains her composure and starts to explain what I need to know so damn much.

"He wanted a son so badly, Kakashi and the closer he got to you, he decided that you would be the perfect son for him. You were so close to him Kakashi, he thrived on it. He grew possessive over you and became jealous of you and your father's relationship. He decided that you would inherit his wealth, but your real dad was in the way. Over time he began to see you more and more as his son, he started to actually believe it, but while your real father was still alive, his fantasy would never become reality. He wanted your dad out of the way, and told me that if I helped him get away with murder…" her voice begins to silence and break, her sobs interrupting her speech. "I… he would make you the sole heir to his fortune. The only way we would get to be millionaires was to get your dad out of the way. I knew you would never agree to it, so I had to do it behind your back… I'm so sorry… it was not meant to happen like this… it's my fault you're hurt! And it's my fault Sasuke is hurt too! It's just when you choose him over the money, I panicked and I had to get him out of the way too because he knew too much on top of that. I'm so sorry Kakashi! I knew he was an innocent victim and he had no idea of the plans, anything, but I panicked…"

"Get out," I hiss in response. It's bad enough that she dragged my father into this, but Sasuke too. They were both innocent!

"W…What?" she whimpers. "Kakashi… I…"

"GET OUT!" I yell. She needs to get the fuck out of this room before I do something I regret.

She tries to look at me with hurt eyes, but I avoid her gaze. To be betrayed by my own mother feels disgusting, but now at least I know how Sasuke must have felt that day when Gin came to take him away and she did nothing to try and prevent him. My own mother is no better than she is. Someone needs to pay for what happened to Sasuke and my father and she can rot for all I care. I never want to see her again. She seems to accept my disappointment though. Giving up, she buries her face into her hands again and rapidly exits the room without looking back. That was the last time I ever saw her.

Just as she exits, the same shit face of the doctor comes in again. That sickness and nauseating feeling accentuates within the pit of my stomach and I briefly forget the horrible news that my mother broke to me. If I had anything in my stomach it would be hurled half way across the room right now. My heart feels like its going to explode, and already I start to shake as I look up at the doctor with eager eyes, desperately trying to read his expression. Nothing. Dammit!

"Sasuke is stable."

Holy shit…

"The bullet didn't pierce anything vital, it just hit his lower shoulder and after a bit of surgery to mend the damage, he'll be alright, just a bit sore for a while. He did loose a lot of blood though and that was the most serious thing, could have killed him, but we got to him in time and he's on the mend. He has regained consciousness and apparently he's been crying for you…"

Before the doctor can say anything else, and before I even realise it, I'm on top of him.

"Mr. Hatake, please!" he shouts as he tries to untangle himself from my mass of limbs.

Finally some damned good news! The relief makes me forget about everything! Sasuke is safe and that's all that matters. I'm not a failure! I did keep my promise to him after all, he was right to trust me. Although, I should definitely give some of that credit to Itachi too! God, I hope he's alright, but I kind of know he will be. Itachi doesn't give up without a fight.

"Where is he?" I gasp excitedly. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, just let go of me first!" the muffled cries of the doctor sounds faintly against my chest. I quickly let go before I suffocate him.

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**(Still Kakashi's point of view)**

I have to wait for Sasuke to wake up, the doctors said that he needs rest and that I'd better not wake him. I smile to myself as he shuffles about under the sheets, still in a deep sleep as he tucks most of his face under the covers. He's still very weak, swollen, his arm is strapped up in a sling and he looks like death warmed up but at least the doctors expect him to make a full recovery. I run my fingers gently through his hair as I imagine what the future will now hold for him. Nobody will ever hurt him again and I'll make damn sure of that. At long last he can return to life as a 'normal' teenager, well, a 'normal' teenager with an older lover. I can't contain my smile.

The first thing we will do is move as far away from here as I can afford. Maybe we can start life in another country, I'm sure Sasuke is desperate to get as far away from here as humanly possible. I am too. Yes, I can always take out a loan, it might take me the rest of my life to pay it back but it will be worth it. Wonderful ideas of exciting, sunny new places flood my mind. I'm almost on a high until the reality of my financial situation punches me in the face and knocks me back to reality. We won't be going anywhere. There's no way I could secure a loan with no reasonable way to pay it back. My credit rating is piss poor as it is; memories of my previous, better car that had to be reclaimed back from me after I couldn't afford to continue the repayments, quickly enter my head. I'm so lost in my thoughts of failure that I fail to notice Sasuke's eyes slowly flicker open.

"Kakashi!" he gasps, pulling himself into a sitting position, his voice sounding as rough as mine did earlier. It's a beautiful sound though and it's not long before the smile returns to my face. I'm not a failure.

"Hi…" is about all I can manage to say at this exact moment in time. I'm just so relieved to still have him here with me, still kind of in shock that he's managed to cling onto his life. I'll never forget the state he was in when the paramedics took him away from me. I honestly didn't think he was going to make it out of the building, let alone to the hospital, but despite his small and delicate looking exterior, the kid's tough. He's much more resilient than he looks.

"Where's Itachi?" he asks me, hope and excitement filling his eyes.

"He had to leave…" I respond, instantly feeling guilty as that precious hope and excitement drains rapidly away. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but he had too… the police…"

"It's ok, I kind of expected that he would anyway," the boy replies, but before I can justify Itachi's reasons for abandoning his little brother once again, I feel Sasuke's non-bandaged arm wrap firmly around me. I missed his warmth so much; his body connecting with mine again is almost enough to make me burst into tears. God I could have lost him! I don't hesitate in returning the hug, gently though, I don't want to hurt him anymore than he already is.

He buries his head into my chest before looking up at me, his eyes wide and teary, yet filled with gratitude.

"Thank you Kakashi," he half speaks, half sobs as he holds onto me for dear life. "I love you."

**End of Chapter 16**

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Thank you for reading!!! OMG! This story will be finished possibly next chapter! In fact, I think there will be only one more chapter of The Secret left after this! Expect some Kaka/Sasu lemony goodness very soon! :D

Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! I'm still just not happy with how it's turning out at the minute, but I'm really starting to take the piss over the length of time it's taking me to update this thing, so I won't push my luck any further! lol

Anyway, I'm going to anticipate that it will take me ages to work out 's crazy new system for uploading stuff. I don't know where to begin! Why did they change it? It was fine the way it was! I mean it took me long enough to work out how to post a story then let alone the disaster that's probably going to occur in a few minutes time. Eeeeek!

Well, see you next chapter for some Sasuke/Kakashi fluff and lemons. Perhaps Itachi will make a come back! That is if I ever figure out how to upload stuff.

Laura xx


	18. Chapter 18

**The Secret: Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own, nor will I ever own Sasuke, Kakashi, Itachi or any rights to Naruto or the characters from Naruto. I'm just a fan girl with too much free time on her hands.

**Author's notes**: OK, a slight change to plans here! I needed to add in an extra chapter because there are a few things that need to be cleared up. The lemon will have to wait until the next chapter, I'm so sorry about the delay, but this chapter is needed and I forgot about adding it in until the last minute! Oops! :D Also, there are some bits in this chapter that are a bit unrealistic. I will explain why I wrote them in at the end… please don't flame me for them!!! :)

As usual, thank you so much to everybody who read, reviewed, favourited, story-alerted, etc my story. I appreciate it so much and I'm always glad to hear that you are enjoying it! Thank you!!!!

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**Kakashi's point of view:**

It seemed like forever, but today Sasuke is going to be discharged from hospital. A permanent smile is spread across my face as I dander in through the front door as people seem almost afraid of my manically happy expression. They give me strange looks as I grin at them, but you know what, I couldn't care less. I've got so damn much to be happy for right now. Sasuke is alive, I'm bringing him home with me today and tonight I'll be sleeping in the same bed as him. Oh and I'm not a failure, of course.

The doctors let me leave last week, but they wanted to keep Sasuke in longer to make sure he had no complications after the surgery to mend his arm, but everything went smoothly and he'll be in a cast for a while, but he will make a full recovery. It's been a full seven days since I was discharged, I thought they would never release Sasuke, or at least that's what it felt like. I can't believe the day has actually come; we can finally get on with living normal lives that will be one hundred percent Gin free!

"Glad to see you're both feeling better," once of the nurses, who had been looking after Sasuke smiles to me as she brings me to his room, then leaves us alone.

His face lights up when he sees me and immediately his non-bandaged arm is wrapped tightly around me. He's looking a lot better. His wounds are healing nicely and the bruises on his face have faded away to the point that they are barely visible. In a few days they'll be completely gone. Thankfully he doesn't look like death anymore as a small amount of colour has returned to his naturally pale skin, and his eyes look a lot more alert and filled with hope… yes, hope and happiness. I did that. I gave him that hope.

I don't hesitate to wrap my arms around him in response and as soon as I'm sure nobody is watching; I give him a small kiss on the forehead too. Turning around I check to make sure we are _definitely _alone before reaching down and placing a small, soft kiss on his lips. Just a quick one though, I'm sure if a doctor walked in while were engaged in a full on lip lock, Sasuke would probably be dragged off to social services and I'd probably end up in jail…oh well, I'll just have to wait until we're home before I can do what I've been craving for. Sasuke too, given the opportunity, or if I'd lingered there long enough, he would have had his tongue down my throat. We manage to restrain ourselves though. As far as the doctors and nurses here think, I'm Sasuke's legal guardian as his parents left him in my care. I'm definitely not his lover. Yeah.

"You ready to go?" I smile at him and he responds by slipping his hand into mine and nodding.

"Of course I am; I can't wait to get out of this place. It smells funny."

"How's your arm?"

"Fine, a bit stiff but they drugged me up with painkillers so I can barely feel anything."

"Good, I brought you a change of clothes so you don't have to wear the hospital stuff out. It will probably be too big on you but I'll buy you your own stuff soon."

He smiles and takes the bag from me. A few moments later he returns in an over-sized shirt of mine and as it hangs loosely off one of his shoulders, I have to fight the urge to take him then and there. He's so cute I can barely restrain myself, but I manage and it's not long before we're heading towards the exit and my car. I long to take his hand into mine, but it's just too risky. I sigh at the thought of how long I'm going to have to keep this relationship a secret. It will be a few years at least before we can act all couple-y in public. I can wait though.

When we get to the car I open the door for him and he doesn't hesitate to climb inside. I follow after him and before I have a chance to even stick the key into the ignition, I feel an arm wrap around me and his warm breath against my neck, the sensation instantly sending a trail of goosebumps along my skin. It takes every ounce of strength and iron will I can find to resist him.

"Sasuke… um, we're kind of still in public you know."

"hmm?"

Ignoring me, he presses his lips softly against the sensitive skin of my neck, causing me to tremble from the contact. I guess he has been missing my touch just as much as I've missed his; after all he has been cooped up in a hospital room for a pretty long time… and I have been too. I screw shut my eyes and force the next words out of my mouth. We just can't risk being caught.

"Sasuke, stop. We can continue this when we're back in my apartment, alright? I know you've been cooped up but you can do whatever you want when we…"

My eyes shoot open when the warm sensation of his tongue makes contact with my skin. He's got no intention of stopping as he makes his way closer to my ear lobe, licking and kissing his way along. Damn him. My so called iron will quickly dissolves to nothing.

Turning around to face him, I place my lips against his and wrap my arms around his delicate waist, pulling him closer. His back arches towards me, desperate for more contact despite our awkward position as he leans across from the passenger seat of the car. For what feels like the first time in forever, our tongues meet and entwine together, the kiss hungry, but gentle. It feels amazing and it terrifies me to think that I could have lost him and would never have been able to get lost in this experience this ever again. His warm breath radiates against my flesh as I pull him ever closer and it's not long before I have him on my knee. He cuddles up against me, his mouth still locked on mine, happy to have gotten his own way. But I'm sure he knows by now that I can't resist him and this was an easy victory. Too easy. However, our moment of infatuation remains brief. The sound of my phone ringing causes us both to jump and instantly destroys the mood. Sasuke folds his arms and lets out an irritated sigh as I reach over for my phone.

"Sorry…" I whisper to him as I recognise the number calling. I'm going to have to answer it. A feeling of sudden dread hits my stomach. I was trying to forget about this, push it to the back of my mind for as long as possible. It's the police calling me up for a possible interrogation over the events that lead to Gin's death. Fear grips me once again. If I'm thrown into jail for murder, what will happen to Sasuke? What if I never get to see him again? What about Itachi? The police can't find out about his involvement… I will have to cover for him by saying that I killed Gin. Sensing my trepidation, Sasuke rests his head against my chest and entwines his fingers around mine. I'm sure he must be feeling the same sense of dread I'm feeling right now, they might want to question him too.

Shaking, I press the answer button.

"Hello?" I state nervously.

"Kakashi Hatake?" The voice on the other end sounds cold and intimidating. I hold on to Sasuke's hand tightly, terrified of loosing him once again.

"Yes?" I gulp.

"There are a few things I need to discuss with you concerning the death of Mr. Gin Howaki. As you know you are the main suspect."

"Yes…"

"Well, the murderer has come forward and confessed to everything so you are no longer on our suspect list…"

"What!" I gasp. Itachi must have given himself up to the police. My heart drops. I should be happy that I'm not a suspect anymore, but I so desperately wanted Itachi to get away.

"Yes, a Miss. Misaki Hatake, your mother I believe, turned herself in just this morning. She confessed to having been involved with the murder of your father and also killing Mr. Howaki after he supposedly threatened her with a knife. She also explained that Mr. Howaki is indeed a murderer himself and stabbed your father to death…"

My jaw nearly hits the floor.

"Because she confessed and it is believed she killed Mr. Howaki out of self defense, it's unlikely that she will receive a life sentence, but I'm calling you now to let you know that you are no longer a suspect. However, there is one other little thing regarding Mr. Howaki's fortune. I'm sure you know that he is a very rich man, and looking through his will, your name is down as the heir to his estate, so you need to make an appointment with a solicitor this week. You need to go and claim what has been left to you. Have a nice day Mr. Hatake."

"O…ok," I gasp, hanging up the phone. My eyes quickly meet with Sasuke's, his face full of fear after seeing the colour drain so quickly from mine. He must think there's bad news coming.

"That idiot!" I pant, almost crushing Sasuke's hand at the same time. "He forgot to change his will… Sasuke! We're going to be rich!"

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**6 weeks later…**

**(Still Kakashi's point of view)**

A lot has changed in the past few weeks, the most significant being that, well, me and Sasuke have moved to the other end of the country after acquiring Gin's fortune. Yeah, the idiot didn't change his will, not that Sasuke and I are complaining or anything. He really didn't expect to die when he did, he must have been so sure that he would defeat us that he never even bothered to change it. Since he has no other known family, and of course since I was named his sole heir in his will, I got everything. Now I can finally give Sasuke the life he deserves. I bet Gin must be spinning in his grave right now. I smile at the thought; the irony is just too perfect.

Gin was buried long ago. I don't think any body really went to his funeral as his friends weren't his real friends, they just stuck by him out of fear, but mostly to see what they could get. Since none of them were mentioned in his will, as far as I know none of them showed up. As for any family, well he didn't have any that I know off, so I hope he was thrown in the ground without a single person to mourn him. The world is better off without him anyway. Harsh, but true. He never did a damn good thing for anybody in his life, I thought he did once but my eyes have been well opened to see his true character. May he rot in hell. I don't want to speak about him again. What's done is done, its in the past and I want to forget about it.

My mother is currently in jail. Since it was believed she murdered Gin in self defense, she only got a few years. She'll be a free woman soon enough. As much as I detest her, I am so grateful for what she did for me and Sasuke. I guess the guilt must have consumed her to the point that she couldn't take it anymore, and this was her way of trying to make things up to me. I appreciate it so much, I'd probably be in a jail cell now if she hadn't covered for me. In all honesty though, she is getting what she deserves, but just under a different pretence. She did, after all, play a big part in the murder of my father and she did encourage Gin to try and murder Sasuke. She does deserve to be in jail right now. Despite what she did I still want nothing to do with her and I think she knows that. As far as I'm concerned, I can't forgive her but I don't hate her anymore. That's how it will always be. When she gets out of jail, I will have nothing to do with her, end of story. Like Gin, she doesn't exist to me anymore.

Walking around our larger, and much nicer house (yes, house! Not apartment and in the nice part of town too), thoughts of the surprise I have for Sasuke hijacks my thoughts. Sasuke has been doing really well too. He's pretty much fully recovered from the incident, although he does have the occasional nightmare that Gin is coming back for him, but considering what he's been through that's expected. He's like a completely different boy too. He's happy now at long last and it radiates from him. He'll be going back to school next month, which he's actually much happier about ever since I hired a private tutor to help him catch up with his studies. His biggest fear was being dumped in a class full of people much younger than him, but now he will be put into a class of people his own age. He's worked hard to catch up and it turns out he's a bit of a genius, or so his tutor tells me. Apparently he can pick things up much faster than most people his age. He's still a bit socially awkward in some situations, mostly with meeting new people, but I'm sure he'll be fine once he settles down.

"Sasuke! Come down here a minute!" I call from the bottom of the stairs. "I have a surprise for you!"

It's not long before a door opens and his face peaks through.

"A surprise? What is it?"

"Come downstairs and go into the living room and you'll see."

"Ok…" he looks at me with a puzzled expression on his face, but doesn't hesitate to come downstairs to meet me. I'm grinning at him like a Cheshire cat, no wonder he looks so confused. I can almost see the gears turning in his head as he tries to work out why I'm so manically happy today. Walking towards the living room, he pushes the door open and then stops dead. I can't see his expression, but I'm sure his jaw must have hit the ground.

"Hi little bro," a familiar voice sounds from inside the room.

"I… Itachi?" he gasps.

"Yeah, it's me. I came here to beg for your forgiveness. I know I've been a crappy brother and all that, but if you give me another chance I will make it up to you. I'm even planning to move back here so I'm not going to abandon you again."

I walk over to stand beside Sasuke and rest a hand on his shoulder, poor boy is still in a state of shock. I kind of feel a bit guilty. I've been keeping the fact that Itachi was planning to visit a secret, just to surprise him. I also didn't want him to think about it too much and decide that he couldn't forgive Itachi. I want the two of them to patch things up once and for all.

Without warning Sasuke suddenly flies forward and throws himself on top of his older brother. I'm not quite sure yet if he's doing it out of happiness or because he wants to kick his shit in. I'm hoping its happiness.

"You bastard! You leave it six weeks before you even come down to see if I'm alright! I was shot you know! You are a crappy brother!" he cries, before wrapping his arms around Itachi's neck, who looks slightly terrified. I hope he doesn't try to choke him.

"But it's alright because I forgive you, but one more slip up and it's war from here on out! You have three years of brotherly neglect to make up for and you can start by bringing me to the movies tomorrow and you better pay for it! And I want popcorn too. The salty stuff, not the sweet stuff… and soda, I want that as well! And I get to pick the movie!"

"Ok… ok… you're crushing me, cinema tomorrow it is!" Itachi gasps as he struggles from under his younger brother's bone-crushing embrace. I didn't know Sasuke had that much strength in him. After a few more moments of intense excitement of seeing his brother again, Sasuke finally lets go.

"But really?" Sasuke whispers to him. "You're not going to abandon me again, are you? I mean, I looked up to you so much and then you went and betrayed me. I couldn't handle it if you did that again. It hurt so much and I really missed you."

"I promise I will never abandon you again. And the truth is I missed you too, and I still haven't forgiven myself for what I did. As your older brother I should have protected you…"

"Yeah, you should have!" Sasuke interrupts and folds his arms in mock annoyance but it isn't long before the smile returns to his face. "But I understand why you did what you did. Gin is scary! Besides, you kicked his ass in the end and that's all that matters!"

"I did, didn't I?" Itachi beams. "Anyway, we have a lot of catching up to do! Are you going back to school then?"

"Yeah, but I'm a bit nervous about it. You know I don't make friends easily."

"What! Don't be silly Sasuke! You have a damn gun shot scar! Use it to your advantage. Just show it to them and you'll instantly be the coolest kid in school."

Smiling to myself I leave them alone to carry on with their conversation. It's nice to see them patching things up just like I hoped they would. Sounds of laughter come from the room behind me and I'm certain that everything will be fine between them now. I couldn't be happier for the both of them.

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Thank you for reading!!! :D

The following things are inaccurate about this chapter:

1) There would have been no finger prints from Kakashi's mum at the scene, so if she did confess, she wouldn't be believed.

2) Both Kakashi and Itachi's finger prints would have been on the murder weapon, so it would have been pretty obvious it was them. I'm sure there would be plenty of DNA evidence there too linking them to the crime.

I know there is sooo much else inaccurate about this chapter, but I really wanted to give them a happy ending, and I don't fancy writing another 10 chapters just on a court case alone (I'd get bored and I'm sure you guys would too), with the only possible outcome being Kakashi and Itachi ending up being jailed for manslaughter. I also have no idea how to write something like that because I've never witnessed a court case in my life. So for the sake of this fictional piece of writing, its total AU-ness and because we all want a happy ending, let's just use our imaginations and pretend that the above inaccuracies don't count, ok? :) :) :) Ok, sorted! No flames please! :D

Well, I am going to temporarily leave the Kakashi/Sasuke fandom for a little while because the need to write a short Final Fantasy VII fic has been tormenting me. I love ZackXCloud and SephirothXCloud just as much as I love KakashiXSasuke, so I have posted the first chapter of my new story, and if anybody wants to read it, you can find the link on my profile page. I must warn you though, it's little more than a smut-fest, so don't expect any detailed plots and characterisation, lol! It will be short and I'll be back to writing my next proper, lengthy KakashiXSas**UKE** fic as soon as it's finished… if I don't end up deleting the FF7 fic! Watch this space! :D Also, the final chapter of The Secret should be up soon, thanks for your patience!

See you next chapter!

Laura xx


	19. Chapter 19

**The Secret Chapter 18**

**Apology**: Due to the sudden and unexpected death of an immediate family member, I've been finding it really difficult to motivate myself to do anything lately, especially writing. I guess I'm still in shock as I've not been myself these past few months at all. I'm so sorry this final chapter has been delayed for this long, but please understand and please don't hate me. But I've decided to stop moping around and I'm trying to dig myself out of this rut I'm stuck in by doing the things I enjoy again. So I'm going to start by getting The Secret finished and start on another story I've been planning for ages now. Once again, I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I hope this chapter makes up for everything! I tried to make it as lemony as possible.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sasuke, Itachi or Kakashi and I never will.

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"I thought I already made my feelings clear, that's an hour and a half of my life I'm never going to get back…" Itachi sighed and folded his arms in annoyance as he walked his younger brother home. "You are never getting to choose the film again, I don't care how much brotherly neglect and shit I have to make up for, but your taste in movies is horrible! I mean worse than horrible…"

"Just because the movie didn't have any naked women, buildings collapsing, car chases and things going BOOM does not make it crap or horrible! And I happen to like romantic comedies, plus it got great reviews in the paper so shut the hell up!"

"Yeah, because the author was a woman…you've been hanging around Kakashi too long, he's turned you soft. You used to be cool, Sasuke."

"I said shut up!" the younger boy cried back in response, his fists tensing into a tight grasp.

"You should come around to my place; I'll help you redeem your reputation and your gender. I have a fantastic stash of…"

"No way you sick, disgusting bastard! I don't want to set foot anywhere near your house or your dirty pervert movies!"

At that moment the front door of the house they arrived at opened wide.

"Take him, Kakashi, please! I've had enough of him today to last a lifetime!" Itachi gasped and pushed the younger boy into the older man's arms.

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**(Kakashi's point of view…)**

"Hi Kakashi!" he smiles and instinctively wraps his arms around me, and I don't hesitate to return the embrace.

"Oh yeah, fine, you behave for _him,_" Itachi growls and folds his arms in mock annoyance.

"He takes care of me and you don't, so I don't have to do a damn thing you say!" Sasuke shouts as he slips his hand into mine.

"Yeah, alright, whatever," Itachi smiles and reaches over to ruffle his little brother's hair, "So you still want to hang out again tomorrow? There's a great little café not far from here, we could go there and have breakfast and you can bore me to death with your conversation."

"Stop patting my head, I'm not a dog!" Sasuke cries, his tone brimming with fake annoyance as he playfully shoves his brother's hand away. "Of course! What time?"

"I'll see you at ten."

"Ok! Thank you for taking me to the movies!" he slides his hand from mine and turns around to give Itachi a hug.

"Yeah, ok, see you tomorrow," Itachi smiles and returns the cuddle.

I chose to pretend I didn't hear anything and let them get on with it, they do seem to argue a lot and I can never tell if they're being serious. Anyway, it's not long before Sasuke kicks off his shoes and makes his way into the living room, leaving me and Itachi at the front door.

"No need to thank me for the few hours of peace and quiet I enabled you to enjoy," Itachi sighs and once again folds his arms.

"Thanks…" I reply, secretly annoyed that Itachi had taken Sasuke away for so long. As pathetic as it sounds, I don't know what to do with myself when Sasuke isn't around, I really do miss him, but then again I have to learn to share. I know it's been a long time since these two have been together so I'll just have to accept that Sasuke is going to want to spend a lot of time with his older brother… or, well, at least until the novelty dies off, which I'm hoping is soon.

"So we'll see you then tomorrow," I smile just as I'm about to close the door, thoughts of cuddling up with the younger boy on the sofa invading my mind.

"I know you're sleeping with him, Kakashi," Itachi growls, suddenly snapping me from my Sasuke-induced daydream.

"What! Who?" I gasp, my mind still not working properly. How the hell does he know that? I mean I don't act couple-y with Sasuke in public or anything like that and I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't have told him.

"My little brother."

"I… I… mean… I … he…"

"It's alright though," Itachi suddenly pipes up, his previous aggressive tone quickly vanishing only to be replaced by a warm smile. "Gin may have let a few things slip, but you guys have my approval. Although there is just one important thing…" his eyes squint angrily at me as that uncomfortable feeling rapidly returns to the pit of my stomach. I gulp.

"If you break his heart, I'll break your legs."

"Um… ok…" I squeak, completely sure that Itachi's threat is more than likely sincere. "I won't…"

"Great! See you later Kakashi!" he waves at me as he walks away down the drive way leaving me wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into. So Gin let a few things slip then… typical, he never could keep a secret.

…………………………………………………………………………

Sasuke cuddles up next to me as soon as I sit down on the sofa beside him and instinctively I wrap an arm around him and pull him closer. After everything he's been through it makes me so happy to see that he's recovering well. He's not afraid of affection like I thought he might be, in fact most of the time he's purring around me like a cat in heat, not that I'm complaining or anything mind you.

"Do you think my taste in movies is crap, Kakashi?" he asks as he rests his head against my chest.

"No, you like some good stuff."

"Some good stuff?" he looks up at me with an eyebrow partially raised.

He's so cute; I could take him just now.

"Well, with the exception of your chick-flick fetish, you've got some decent stuff hidden away there…"

"Oh! You sound just like _him_!" Sasuke cries, backing away just out of my reach and pointing his finger directly at me.

"It's alright though, I won't tell anybody. Your secret is safe with me," I grin.

"Oh my God! What is it? Destroy Sasuke's soul day? You're both as bad as each other." He folds his arms and backs further away to the other end of the sofa in a huff. After getting to know him better, I can tell he's not being serious about it. It's just his way of getting attention because he knows once he turns his back on me; I can't help myself but to lavish more and more interest upon him.

"Ok, I'm sorry. You have wonderful taste in movies. How can I make it up to you for not believing sooner?" I smile as I creep ever closer towards him, and it's not long before I have my arm around him once again. He immediately relaxes into my embrace and rests his head against my chest, his fingers playing with a few loose strands of my hair. The sensation sends a pleasurable tingle throughout my body, instantly making me crave more.

"Well…" he smirks. "There is one thing…"

"What's that?"

"This…"

Without warning, he places his lips against mine and it doesn't take me long to work out what he's after. I accept this kiss and after a few light touches, open my mouth to allow him entry, our tongues entwine and dance together in a gentle, unified rhythm. Fuck! He tastes so good. My heart immediately starts to beat faster, just like it does every time we share something special like this. Sasuke is mine now, no one else will ever have this privilege I'm experiencing just now, and kissing him like this marks him definitely as my own. The kiss becomes needier, hungrier as I pull him towards me into a straddling position, his back arching gracefully in an attempt to close the gap between us fully. The contact spreads a chill of goosebumps dashing across my skin and immediately I long for more. The pleasing feeling intensifies as I feel the light touch of his hands wrapping around my neck, entwining in my hair and causing my heart to race just that little bit faster once again. This could become too much, too fast and I secretly curse him for having this affect on me as I feel the crotch area of my jeans start to tighten. But I have grown to depend on it more and more each time. Sasuke is like my drug.

He moans quietly as I break away from the kiss, maintaining the contact with him, but beginning to place soft, gentle kisses along his neck, shoulders and jaw-line instead. His head tilts back elegantly as more of those beautiful, enticing sounds escape from his mouth.

"mmm… Kakashi…" he whispers quietly, his voice low and ever so encouraging. I don't think I could stop right now even if I wanted too.

It's not long before I slide a hand under his t-shirt to rouse those small pink nipples of his, my efforts rewarded with another velvety purr, total music to my ears. I continue to lick, kiss and nip at the pale, sensitive skin of his shoulders and neck, at this point desperate to undress him to get more contact with his smooth, milky white skin underneath. I pull at his t-shirt slightly and immediately he takes the hint. Moving away briefly, he pulls the garment over his head and tosses it unceremoniously to the floor, he's just as eager to get back to where we left off as I am.

My heart almost skips a beat as his chest and stomach is bared before me, and I can't help but push him back onto the sofa where I can reach every part of him better. I take a moment or two to admire him. He's much healthier and that once, overly delicate frame now has filled out, even acquiring a little muscle tone on his arms and stomach. He's undeniably beautiful as he lies there underneath me, chest bare and starring directly into my eyes. A slight smirk is barely visible as a few strands of that raven black hair fall across his angelic, feminine face. It's like he knows I can't resist him, but I can't so I won't deny it.

But suddenly the happy glow starts to fade from his eyes, causing my heart to drop from the high of before. God, I hate that look but I know what's coming. I can read it from his expression.

"It's horrible," he sighs, breaking the eye contact as he covers his bullet scar with his hand. "Every time I look at it, it reminds me of him…"

"Sasuke…" I sigh; wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close once again. "That's in the past now, he's gone. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I know… it's just… I… I don't know… I guess escaping from him isn't really that easy for me. "

"Well, I'd be dead if it wasn't for you Sasuke and so would Itachi," I smile, trying my best to comfort him. "You took a damned bullet for me kiddo! Maybe it's time you stopped associating the scar with… _him_. Things couldn't have ended a lot differently. You pretty much saved the day by doing what you did, even though I'm still mad at you for risking your life like that!"

"hmppph…" he responds, his warm breath radiating against my neck. "Maybe you're right…"

My heart beat speeds up again as I feel his soft lips press against my neck, that pleasurable tingle spreads to every part of my body once again.

"Do you want to continue?" I ask him half panting, I want to make sure he's alright but I pray to God he says yes, it's so hard to resist him. I'll have to go take a cold shower for an hour and possibly die from hypothermia if he says no.

To my relief he nods and continues with what he was doing before.

"Do you want to take this to the bedroom?"

He nods again, and it's not long before I slide my hand into his and lead the way upstairs.

……………………………………………………………………………….

**(Still Kakashi's point of view) **

Unbuttoning my shirt as quickly as I can, I hurl the restrictive garment to the other side of the room, not caring where it happens to land. Sasuke lies on the bed sheets before me, his eyes taking in every part of my body. I can feel him staring, but I don't mind at all. I'm rather proud of my toned, muscular body. I worked damn hard to get it this way.

I can still feel Sasuke's eyes upon me as I unzip my trousers and slide out of them and my underwear, tossing them over somewhere near the shirt. The smile returns to his face and I know what he's thinking. It's written all over his face. That look is enough to get me hard on its own. He puts up no resistance as I pull him up towards me and place my mouth against those irresistible pink lips.

After everything the boy has been though, I'm surprised that he lets me do this to him and that he's perfectly comfortable with it too. I guess that means he trusts me. That wonderful thought prompts me into deepening the kiss as I savour every second of his taste, our tongues entwining once again while my hands explore his upper body with eager, yet gentle touches. I want this feeling to last forever. My heart races with anticipation as I push him back down onto the bed, his head tilting to the side to allow better access to his neck and shoulders when I break from this kiss and move to different areas. He moans underneath me as I work my way down his chest and stomach, stopping only to encircle his hardened nipples with my mouth and tongue.

"mmm… don't stop Kakashi…" he moans again, his eyelids half shut and his head still tilted to the side as his chest rises and falls rapidly in eagerness of what he knows is coming next. I'm hard now just looking at him, he's so beautiful and those restless movements below me could send me over the edge without even having to touch him. Nobody has ever had this much of an affect on me, and I doubt anybody else ever will. I wonder if he knows what he does to me, but one look into those revealing dark eyes of his, and that all too familiar smirk gracing his features… yes, he knows damn well what he's doing. I'm sure of it. He's certainly not as innocent as he looks.

Sliding my hands down past this slender waist, I eventually reach his trousers. Slowly I unbutton them and slide them down to his ankles, underwear and all. It isn't long before he has them kicked off and left in a bundle on the floor. He's fully naked before me now, and what a beautiful sight it is. I could sit and stare at him like this for hours, but a less than subtle cough snaps me out of my daydream.

"Sorry!" I grin, immediately turning my attention to his hardening erection.

"Oh God…" he gasps as I take a long lick of his length, stopping to lick and kiss at the sensitive top, using my tongue to stimulate the tip and other areas that he usually responds too. He gasps again as I use my hands to work the shaft and his testicles too. Looking up before I take him fully into my mouth, I can see his head pleasingly tilted back as his chest rises and falls much more rapidly now. His movements become ever restless and my heart slams against the inside of my chest almost painfully just watching him. I love pleasuring him like this, even more than I enjoy it when he pleasures me in return. I'm not sure why, but I prefer lavishing him with the attention and watching him moan and writhe on the bed sheets in pure lust, rather than receiving it myself. Of course I enjoy it too, Sasuke has a skilled tongue, but I just love the sound of him crying out my name as he comes. I dream of making love him though, but up to this point Sasuke hasn't wanted to go any further than oral sex, but that's fine with me. I certainly don't want to rush him, so I'm happy enough to take things at his pace. After all he's been through I'd never push him or try to make him do anything he wouldn't be comfortable with.

As I work my way up and down his erection, the taste of pre-cum fills my mouth, reminding me of how much I like to savour his taste, how much I crave him. He close now, it won't be much longer until he…

"Kakashi…" he pants, almost having to force the words out of his mouth. "Stop! Please! I'm going to…"

Immediately I come off his erection, very puzzled but not wanting to continue if he's not happy with it. I glance at him with a confused look.

"But isn't that what you want?" I ask. "I always suck you until you come."

"No, not today… not yet anyway," that smile returns to his face as he looks back at me with those hazy half-closed eyes, his breath still coming in slight pants. Oh Fuck… that image alone is more than enough to send me to climax, it will be permanently burned into my mind… I'll make sure of it.

"What do you mean?"

"Kakashi… I want you to fuck me."

"What?" my eyes pop open. Well, I did not see that one coming; Sasuke hasn't even so much as hinted that he's ready to go further. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes," he smiles. "I'm ready, I trust you Kakashi. I know you won't hurt me." He looks back at me with sincerity in his eyes.

"I mean really? You're really sure!"

"Yes, I want too. Please fuck me, don't make me beg."

"Well ok," I reply, my heart in my mouth. "If that's what you want, but if at any point you want me to stop, or if I'm hurting you, just say and I'll pull out immediately."

"Ok."

Leaving him lying there for a moment, I reach over to a cabinet and pull out a small tube that I've been keeping there, well, you know, just in case. When I return I kneel on the sheets and he kneels beside me, sliding one leg over mine so that he's in a straddling position. He spreads his legs as wide as he can over mine and rests his head against my shoulder. I can't help a moan escaping from my mouth as I feel his erection pressed up and grinding gently against mine, the sensation sends a wave of pleasure throughout my body as my badly neglected length finally gets some much needed attention. Without warning he starts to lick and suck at the sensitive skin of my neck and my hands start to shake as I squirt the contents of the tube onto my fingers. A few loose strands of his hair glide across my skin, adding to the wonderful feeling creating waves of goosebumps now taking over my body. I love having him this close to me, his warmth so near. I take a second to appreciate how this could never have been if things hadn't worked out the way they did. Everyday I'm thankful to have him with me.

"Sasuke, I'm going to prepare you just now, so make sure you relax," I whisper as I run a finger alongside his opening. He doesn't say anything, but I feel him relax more in my arms as he continues to rest his head against my shoulder, his arms wrapped around my neck. Holding him as if he was made of porcelain, I carefully slide a finger inside him, slowly at first to let him get used to the uncomfortable feeling. He lets out a gasp, his warm breath radiating against my skin, as I insert another finger and move them around to stretch and prepare him from the inside. After a few moments I insert a third finger and he whimpers quietly, tensing up a little.

"Are you alright?" I whisper.

"Yeah… keep going…" he replies.

Doing as he asked, I continue to prepare him, making sure to do as it thoroughly as possible, the whole time trying to find that place deep inside him that will distract him from the discomfort.

Suddenly he gasps and I feel him tighten around me. Yes, there it is. I can't help but smile to myself as I draw another moan from him, causing him to press harder against my erection in return. I don't think I can wait any longer, I've wanted to be inside him for so long now and he's finally ready to let me. My heart beats excitedly in keenness for what is going to come next. My erection is so hard, it's almost painful, I desperately need release and I can imagine it must be the same for Sasuke too.

He gasps as I push him back down onto the covers, the look in his eyes begging me to continue. I coat my own erection with lubricant and get into position, lifting his legs over my shoulders for better access.

"Are you ready?" I ask, and he responds with a nod.

"Yes, please do it, I want this…"

Without any further hesitation, I press the tip of my erection against his opening and slowly push in as carefully as I can. Oh God he feels amazing. I push my way deeper inside him, the whole time watching his face for signs of too much discomfort. He shuts his eyes and bites his lower lip as I push the entire way in. He doesn't tell me to stop, so I continue to sink into his warmth, it won't be long before he starts to enjoy this as much as I am. Still, I have to be careful, I'm terrified of really hurting him. His hot and tight walls feel unbelievable around my throbbing erection as I hold still for a few moments to allow him to get used to me being there.

"Are you ok for me to continue?" I ask him, just wanting to be sure. Once again he replies with a smile and a nod, his arms tightening their grip around by back.

My heart starts to race again; I can't believe this is finally happening; that Sasuke trusts me enough to let me go all the way with him. I start to thrust into him, slowly and carefully. This painfully slow pace is killing me; I desperately want to push hard and deep into him, but not yet.

His head tilts to the side and his nails dig into my back when I finally hit that spot deep inside him. A load moan escapes his mouth, signaling me to move faster. His breath starts to come in gasps and that beautiful chest of his rises and falls in rhythm with his ragged breathing.

"Kakashi… harder…" he gasps, the words almost stuck in his throat.

Responding, I begin to thrust faster, eventually so deep that my balls hit with flesh every time. Sasuke tenses around me, as we work into a rhythm, he's so close, so am I. Oh God I don't want this to end, it can't, not yet. My heart races faster than it ever has before as I experience his heat and hear those wonderful noises, mixed with the occasional swear, flood from his mouth. It's almost too much, but no, not now, I have to prolong this as much as I can. It feels so damn fucking good.

Without warning I quickly pull out of him and he responds by giving me the most annoyed look I think I've ever seen from him yet.

"Kakashi… why did you…"

"Turn around…" I gasp, desperate to enjoy the sensation of entering him all over again. My heart continues to race and I struggle to control my breath as he does what I ask, immediately catching on to what's going to happen next. He doesn't hesitate to spread his legs again once he moves into the new position.

"Fuck…" I cry, as I push into him once more. I'm so close to climax I hope I can make it the entire way in without spilling my seed just yet. He cries out in pleasure as I start to thrust, building up the same speed and rhythm as we had before. He almost screams as I reach down and take his erection into my hand, his breaths coming in the same uncontrollable gasps as mine, sweat starting to form in pools along our skin. This is too much, I can't last any longer. I feel Sasuke start to tense around me, his body becoming almost rigid and his gasps even louder. He screams my name as he comes into my hand, his body shaking as he rides out the last waves of his orgasm. It's not long before I reach climax too, unable to hold back against his warmth, tightness and that sweet sound of his voice crying out my name. My heart feels like it's about to explode as a wave of pleasure engulfs my frame. I can barely breathe and seconds later I come deep inside him with one last hard thrust.

I pull out of him, some of my hot, sticky seed escaping with it. He collapses down onto the sheets and I pretty much fall on top of him. Lying there in silence for a few moments regaining our breath, he crawls over and slides in next to me under my arm. I don't hesitate to wrap it around him and pull him close, savouring the warmth of having him so near me that I enjoy so much.

"Thanks," he gasps as he curls up beside me, his arm reaching across my stomach. "Thank you for everything."

I can't help but smile. God he's beautiful and he's all mine too. Hatake Kakashi you are one lucky son of a bitch. I smile again as I think about how much I've got to look forward too, and how wonderful life is going to be with Sasuke now that nothing will keep us apart. Looking back into his eyes, I'm greeted with a warm smile and a striking glint of hope and happiness. I wonder if he's thinking the same thing. Things are very different now for both of us; something wonderful came out of the mess we accidently found ourselves buried in, even after my life was turned upside down and Sasuke's life almost destroyed. But given the choice, would I go back to how things used to be, before I met Sasuke? No, never. Sasuke gave me something more than anyone else ever could, the truth. Whether he knew it or not at the time, he's changed my life forever. For the better. And everyday I am thankful for that.

**The End**

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Well, it's finished! Finally! I really hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you so much for reading The Secret, following it to the end and for tolerating my crap! Also, thank you so much for every single review, favourite and alert this story has received. I appreciate it so much and your kind, encouraging words keep me writing and keep the stories flowing.

**NEW STORY!!!** I love the Kakashi/Sasuke fandom so much that I don't think I'm ready to leave just yet. I've almost finished the first part of a new fic involving the two of them called "Numb", which as you can imagine with a title like that, it's going to be spilling over the brim with angst and uke Sasuke! Yeah, it's probably going to be the angstiest one yet, because I guess I really enjoy my angst… and lemons, even though I blush like a tomato when I write them. If you are interested in reading my new story, the first chapter will be posted within the next few days, and you will be able to find the link in my profile or else you can Author Alert me. I promise regular updates too if I decide to continue it, no more of this randomness!

Anyway, thank you all again for reading and following my stories! You guys rock!!!

Much love and hugs,

Laura xx


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